phantasm

[ fan-taz-uhm ]

noun

1. an apparition or specter.

   Synonyms: vision, ghost

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.

   Synonyms: illusion, hallucination

phantasm

/ ˈfæntæzəm /

noun

1. a phantom
2. an illusory perception of an object, person, etc
3. (in the philosophy of Plato) objective reality as distorted by perception

Derived Forms

• phanˈtasmal, adjective
• phanˈtasmally, adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of phantasm¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; from Latin phantasma, from Greek phántasma “image, vision” (akin to phantázein “to bring before the mind”); replacing Middle English fantesme, from Old French, from Latin as above

Word History and Origins

Origin of phantasm¹

C13: from Old French fantasme, from Latin phantasma, from Greek; related to Greek phantazein to cause to be seen, from phainein to show

Synonym Study

See apparition.

Example Sentences

David Hume, the 18th Century philosopher, described it as “the phantasm of the senses.”

From Salon

Even the implicit promise of a male-oriented community is a phantasm.

From Salon

Republican politicians win by keeping their base voters focused on phantasms and symbolic, ego-driven identity politics, rather than real world issues.

From Salon

This dependency on fighting imaginary phantasms — which are responsible for eroding our "values" and "culture" by making America browner, less Christian, more constitutionally equal and ever less heterosexual — is what unites GOP base voters.

From Salon

And before that, I was reading accounts of specters and phantasms at a home built in the early 1800s.

From Seattle Times