First Known Use: 14th century
Dictionary
1phantom
noun phan·tom \ˈfan-təm\
: the soul of a dead person thought of as living in an unseen world or as appearing to living people
: something that is not real and exists only in a person's mind
: something that is hard to see or achieve
Full Definition of PHANTOM
1
a : something apparent to sense but with no substantial existence : apparition b : something elusive or visionary c : an object of continual dread or abhorrence <the phantom of disease and want>
2
: something existing in appearance only
3
: a representation of something abstract, ideal, or incorporeal <she was a phantom of delight — William Wordsworth>
— phan·tom·like \-ˌlīk\ adverb or adjective
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Origin of PHANTOM
Middle English fantosme, fantome, from Anglo-French fantosme phantasm
Related to PHANTOM
Rhymes with PHANTOM
2phantom
adjective
: coming from or associated with the world of ghosts
: not real or true or not based on something real or true
: not real but felt or experienced as something real
Full Definition of PHANTOM
1
: of the nature of, suggesting, or being a phantom : illusory
2
: fictitious, dummy <phantom voters>
See phantom defined for English-language learners
First Known Use of PHANTOM
15th century
Related to PHANTOM
- Synonyms
- chimerical (also chimeric), fabulous, fanciful, fantasied, fantastic (also fantastical), fictional, fictitious, ideal, imaginal, imagined, invented, made-up, make-believe, mythical (or mythic), notional, phantasmal, phantasmic, imaginary, pretend, unreal, visonary
Rhymes with PHANTOM
PHANTOM Defined for Kids
phantom
noun phan·tom \ˈfan-təm\
Definition of PHANTOM for Kids
: an image or figure that can be sensed (as with the eyes or ears) but that is not real
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