Elusive vs. Illusory

Elusive vs. Illusory — Is There a Difference?
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Difference Between Elusive and Illusory

Elusiveadjective

Evading capture, comprehension or remembrance.

The elusive criminal was arrested

Illusoryadjective

Resulting from an illusion; deceptive, imaginary, unreal

Enron's profits were all illusory.

Elusiveadjective

Difficult to make precise.

A precise definition of diarrhea is elusive (Robbin's pathology, 8th ed)

Illusoryadjective

based on or having the nature of an illusion;

illusive hopes of of finding a better jobSecret activities offer presidents the alluring but often illusory promise that they can achieve foreign policy goals without the bothersome debate and open decision that are staples of democracy

Elusiveadjective

Rarely seen.

Elusiveadjective

difficult to describe;

a haunting elusive odor
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Elusiveadjective

skillful at eluding capture;

a cabal of conspirators, each more elusive than the archterrorist

Elusiveadjective

be difficult to detect or grasp by the mind;

his whole attitude had undergone a subtle changea subtle differencethat elusive thing the soul