phantom

or fan·tom

[ fan-tuhm ]
See synonyms for phantom on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. an apparition or specter.

  2. an appearance or illusion without material substance, as a dream image, mirage, or optical illusion.

  1. a person or thing of merely illusory power, status, efficacy, etc.: the phantom of fear.

  2. 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.

  2. Electricity. noting or pertaining to a phantom circuit.

  1. named, included, or recorded but nonexistent; fictitious: Payroll checks were made out and cashed for phantom employees.

Origin of phantom

1
1250–1300; Middle English fantosme<Middle French, Old French <Latin phantasmaphantasm

synonym study For phantom

1, 2. See apparition.

Other words for phantom

Opposites for phantom

Other words from phantom

  • phan·tom·like, adjective

Words Nearby phantom

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use phantom in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for phantom

phantom

/ (ˈfæntəm) /


noun
    • an apparition or spectre

    • (as modifier): a phantom army marching through the sky

  1. the visible representation of something abstract, esp as appearing in a dream or hallucination: phantoms of evil haunted his sleep

  1. something apparently unpleasant or horrific that has no material form

  2. med another name for manikin (def. 2b)

Origin of phantom

1
C13: from Old French fantosme, from Latin phantasma phantasm

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012