Phangasm

Phangasm

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phan·tasm

| \ ˈfan-ˌta-zəm

\

variants:
or less commonly fantasm

1

: a product of fantasy: such as

a

: delusive appearance : illusion

b

: ghost , specter

c

: a figment of the imagination

2

: a mental representation of a real object

phantasmal
\
fan-ˈtaz-məl

\
adjective

phantasmic
\
fan-ˈtaz-mik

\
adjective

frightened by the phantasms of his own making

believed that she'd seen the phantasm of her father on the anniversary of his death

That the nocturnal ritual fantasy is no fantasy, that every phantasm is a sign.

—

Talia Lavin, The New Republic , 29 Sep. 2020

Nor did this phantasm express itself solely in writing.

—

Ryan Ruby, The New York Review of Books , 8 Aug. 2020

His drawing shows an electric-blue phantasm on the wing, more like an angel or a pegasus than any earthly being.

—

J. B. Mackinnon, The Atlantic , 19 Mar. 2020

These phantasms could influence familiar particles in several ways, according to Johns Hopkins University theorist and MAGIS collaborator Surjeet Rajendran.

—

Charlie Wood, Scientific American , 18 Jan. 2020

Gottlieb’s story offers a fleeting glimpse into a world that is usually no more than a phantasm or a hideous dream.

—

BostonGlobe.com , 14 Sep. 2019

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Merriam-Webster

phan·tasm

| \ ˈfan-ˌtaz-əm

\

1

: a figment of the imagination or disordered mind

2

: an apparition of a living or dead person

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Phantasm is from Middle English fantasme , a borrowing from Anglo-French fantasme , which itself is a derivative of Latin and Greek words—and ultimately the Greek verb phantazein , meaning "to present to the mind." The Greek verb took shape from phainein , meaning "to show," and this root appears in several English words that have to do with the way things seem or appear rather than the way they really are. Phantasmagoria and diaphanous are examples. Also from this root are words such as fanciful and fantasy , in which the imagination plays an important part.

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'phantasm.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback .

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Middle English fantesme, fantosme, fantome, fantom "what has only a seeming reality or value, vanity, illusion, apparition, falsehood," borrowed from Anglo-French fantosme, fantasme, fantesme, fantame (continental Old French fantosme ), borrowed from Latin phantasma "ghost, apparition" (Late Latin also, "mental image, figment, illusion"), borrowed from Greek phántasma "apparition, ghost, vision, dream, (in plural) phenomena, portents," derivative, with the noun suffix -mat-, -ma, corresponding to phantázein "to make visible, present to the eye or mind, (middle voice) place before one's mind, picture to oneself, imagine" — more at fantasy entry 1

Note:
The Middle English word bifurcated into two phonetically distinct words in early Modern English, phantasm, which has mostly restored the form of the Latin etymon, and phantom entry 1 , which more directly continues the Middle English original. According to a hypothesis in the Französisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, the -o- in the medieval French forms reflects *fantauma, from a presumed Ionian variant *phántagma of Greek phántasma that would have penetrated Gallo-Romance through contact with Greek speakers in Massilia (ancient Marseille). The -s- in fantosme, fantasme, etc., is an etymological restoration, as [s] would have been lost in such clusters in later medieval French.
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Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 31, 2019 is:
2 : a mental representation of a real object
"In each maze, you will follow in the footsteps of the Ghostbusters—Peter, Ray, Egon and Winston—as they venture through recreated scenes from the film, including the firehouse, New York Public Library and the Temple of Gozer, as an army of ghoulish spirits, specters and phantasms attack." — Devoun Cetoute, The Miami Herald , 17 July 2019
"Finally I had to admit defeat: I was never going to turn around my faltering musical career. So at 31 I gave up, abandoning my musical aspirations entirely, to pursue a doctorate in public policy. … After finishing my studies, I became a university professor, a job I enjoyed. But I still thought every day about my beloved first vocation. Even now, I regularly dream that I am onstage, and wake to remember that my childhood aspirations are now only phantasms ." — Arthur C. Brooks, The Atlantic , July 2019
Phantasm is from Middle English fantasme , a borrowing from Anglo-French fantasme , which itself is a derivative of Latin and Greek words—and ultimately the Greek verb phantazein , meaning "to present to the mind." The Greek verb took shape from phainein , meaning "to show," and this root appears in several English words that have to do with the way things seem or appear rather than the way they really are. Phantasmagoria and diaphanous are examples. Also from this root are words such as fanciful and fantasy , in which the imagination plays an important part.
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“Phantasm.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/phantasm. Accessed 10 Jun. 2022.
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https://www.thefreedictionary.com/phantasm

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1. Something apparently seen but having no physical reality; a phantom or an apparition. Also called phantasma .
2. An illusory mental image. Also called phantasma .
3. In Platonic philosophy, objective reality as perceived and distorted by the five senses.
[Middle English fantasme , from Old French, from Latin phantasma , from Greek, from phantazein , to make visible , from phantos , visible , from phainein , to show ; see bhā- in Indo-European roots .]
phan·tas′mal (făn-tăz′məl) , phan·tas′mic (-tăz′mĭk) adj.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
2. an illusory perception of an object, person, etc
3. (Philosophy) (in the philosophy of Plato) objective reality as distorted by perception
[C13: from Old French fantasme, from Latin phantasma, from Greek; related to Greek phantazein to cause to be seen, from phainein to show]
phanˈtasmal , phantasmalian , phanˈtasmic , phanˈtasmical adj
phanˈtasmally , phanˈtasmically adv
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
1. an apparition or specter.
2. a creation of the imagination or fancy; fantasy.
3. a mental image or representation of a real object.
4. an illusory likeness of something.
[1175–1225; Middle English fantesme < Old French < Latin phantasma < Greek phántasma image, vision]
phan•tas′mal, phan•tas′mic, phan•tas′mi•cal, adj.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
a vision or other perception of something that has no physical or objective reality, as a ghost or other supernatural apparition. Also phantasma . See also images ; philosophy .
a vision or other perception of something that has no physical or objective reality, especially in the sense of a ghost or other supernatural apparition. Also phantasma. See also images ; philosophy .
the mental image or representation of a real person or thing. See also ghosts ; perception .
-Ologies & -Isms. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
Thesaurus Antonyms Related Words Synonyms Legend:
disembodied spirit , spirit - any incorporeal supernatural being that can become visible (or audible) to human beings
Flying Dutchman - the captain of a phantom ship (the Flying Dutchman) who was condemned to sail against the wind until Judgment Day
flying saucer , UFO , unidentified flying object - an (apparently) flying object whose nature is unknown; especially those considered to have extraterrestrial origins
Flying Dutchman - a phantom ship that is said to appear in storms near the Cape of Good Hope
ghost , specter , wraith , spectre , spook , shade - a mental representation of some haunting experience; "he looked like he had seen a ghost"; "it aroused specters from his past"
illusion , semblance - an erroneous mental representation
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
phantasm [ˈfæntæz ə m] N → fantasma m
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
n. fantasma, ilusión óptica, aparición.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012
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https://www.thefreedictionary.com/phantasm

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1. Something apparently seen but having no physical reality; a phantom or an apparition. Also called phantasma .
2. An illusory mental image. Also called phantasma .
3. In Platonic philosophy, objective reality as perceived and distorted by the five senses.
[Middle English fantasme , from Old French, from Latin phantasma , from Greek, from phantazein , to make visible , from phantos , visible , from phainein , to show ; see bhā- in Indo-European roots .]
phan·tas′mal (făn-tăz′məl) , phan·tas′mic (-tăz′mĭk) adj.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
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