phantom

or fan·tom

[ fan-tuhm ]

noun

1. an apparition or specter.
2. an appearance or illusion without material substance, as a dream image, mirage, or optical illusion.
3. a person or thing of merely illusory power, status, efficacy, etc.:

   the phantom of fear.

4. an illustration, part of which is given a transparent effect so as to permit representation of details otherwise hidden from view, as the inner workings of a mechanical device.

adjective

1. of, relating to, or of the nature of a phantom; illusory:

   a phantom sea serpent.

   Synonyms: imaginary

   Antonyms: material, real

2. Electricity. noting or pertaining to a phantom circuit.
3. named, included, or recorded but nonexistent; fictitious:

   Payroll checks were made out and cashed for phantom employees.

phantom

/ ˈfæntəm /

noun

1. 1. an apparition or spectre
   2. ( as modifier )

      a phantom army marching through the sky

2. the visible representation of something abstract, esp as appearing in a dream or hallucination

   phantoms of evil haunted his sleep

3. something apparently unpleasant or horrific that has no material form
4. med another name for manikin

Other Words From

• phantom·like adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of phantom¹

1250–1300; Middle English fantosme < Middle French, Old French < Latin phantasma phantasm

Word History and Origins

Origin of phantom¹

C13: from Old French fantosme, from Latin phantasma phantasm

Synonym Study

See apparition.

Example Sentences

With a Stake logo on many of his website’s viral posts, maybe the Phantom of Mar-a-Lago and his host will never appoint someone anti-business enough to throw the hammer down soon.

From Slate

The famed “Cats” and “Phantom of the Opera” composer revealed in a Thursday interview with Billboard that Scherzinger had been texting Payne on the day he died.

From Los Angeles Times

After reading news articles about her case, April sometimes experiences the emotional equivalent of what her father felt after his leg was amputated, a phantom pain for something no longer there.

From Slate

In 2022 Ms Manners was the first woman to make the ascent of the Phantom Direct route on the south face of the Grand Jorasses in Mont Blanc.

From BBC

Anemone is being produced by Focus Features and is Day-Lewis' first performance since retiring from acting in 2017 after The Phantom Thread.

From BBC

Related Words

• hallucination