Standard Lemma guide

disillusionment

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˌdɪsɪˈluːʒənmənt/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˌdɪsɪˈljuːʒənmənt/
  • Canada, US: /ˌdɪsɪˈluʒənmənt/
  • Canada, US: /ˌdɪsəˈluʒənmənt/
  • Texas: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australian: /ˌdɪsəˈlʉːʒənmənt/
  • Queensland Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: D IH2 S IH0 L UW1 ZH AH0 N M AH0 N T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A feeling of disappointment, akin to depression, arising from the realization that something is not what it was expected or believed to be, possibly accompanied by philosophical angst from having one's beliefs challenged.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The act of freeing from an illusion; the state of being freed therefrom.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

freeing from false belief or illusions

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: disenchantment, disillusion

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: edification, sophistication

History

Etymology

From dis- + illusion + -ment.

Across languages

Translations

36 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 幻滅 /幻灭 (huànmiè) — feeling that arises from the discovery that something is not what it was anticipated to be
  • Chinese Mandarin: 失望 (shīwàng) — feeling that arises from the discovery that something is not what it was anticipated to be
  • Czech: deziluze — feeling that arises from the discovery that something is not what it was anticipated to be
  • Dutch: desillusie — feeling that arises from the discovery that something is not what it was anticipated to be
  • Esperanto: elreviĝo — feeling that arises from the discovery that something is not what it was anticipated to be
  • Esperanto: senreviĝo — feeling that arises from the discovery that something is not what it was anticipated to be
  • Esperanto: seniluziiĝo — feeling that arises from the discovery that something is not what it was anticipated to be
  • Esperanto: disreviĝo — feeling that arises from the discovery that something is not what it was anticipated to be
  • French: désillusion — feeling that arises from the discovery that something is not what it was anticipated to be
  • Galician: desilusión — feeling that arises from the discovery that something is not what it was anticipated to be
  • German: Desillusionierung — feeling that arises from the discovery that something is not what it was anticipated to be
  • German: Enttäuschung — feeling that arises from the discovery that something is not what it was anticipated to be
  • German: Ernüchterung — feeling that arises from the discovery that something is not what it was anticipated to be
  • Greek: απογοήτευση (apogoḯtefsi) — feeling that arises from the discovery that something is not what it was anticipated to be
  • Hungarian: kiábrándulás — feeling that arises from the discovery that something is not what it was anticipated to be
  • Japanese: 幻滅 (genmetsu) — feeling that arises from the discovery that something is not what it was anticipated to be
  • Japanese: 失望 (shitsubō) — feeling that arises from the discovery that something is not what it was anticipated to be
  • Māori: matekiritanga — feeling that arises from the discovery that something is not what it was anticipated to be
  • Polish: rozczarowanie — feeling that arises from the discovery that something is not what it was anticipated to be
  • Russian: разочаро́ванность (razočaróvannostʹ) — feeling that arises from the discovery that something is not what it was anticipated to be
  • Russian: разочарова́ние (razočarovánije) — feeling that arises from the discovery that something is not what it was anticipated to be
  • Spanish: desilusión — feeling that arises from the discovery that something is not what it was anticipated to be
  • Ukrainian: розчарува́ння (rozčaruvánnja) — feeling that arises from the discovery that something is not what it was anticipated to be
  • Ukrainian: розчаро́ваність (rozčaróvanistʹ) — feeling that arises from the discovery that something is not what it was anticipated to be
  • Chinese Mandarin: 幻滅 /幻灭 (huànmiè) — act of freeing from an illusion
  • Esperanto: elrevigo — act of freeing from an illusion
  • French: désillusion — act of freeing from an illusion
  • German: Desillusionierung — act of freeing from an illusion
  • German: Ernüchterung — act of freeing from an illusion
  • Japanese: 幻滅 (genmetsu) — act of freeing from an illusion
  • Māori: whakamatekiritanga — act of freeing from an illusion
  • Russian: разочарова́ние (razočarovánije) — act of freeing from an illusion
  • Russian: утра́та иллю́зий (utráta illjúzij) — act of freeing from an illusion
  • Russian: круше́ние иллю́зий (krušénije illjúzij) — act of freeing from an illusion
  • Spanish: desilusión — act of freeing from an illusion
  • Spanish: desilusionamiento — act of freeing from an illusion
Real reading context

disillusionment in complete knowledge articles