fantasia

noun

fan·​ta·​sia fan-ˈtā-zhə 

-zhē-ə, 

-zē-ə;

ˌfan-tə-ˈzē-ə

1

: a free usually instrumental composition not in strict form

2

a

: a work (such as a poem or play) in which the author's fancy roves unrestricted

b

: something possessing grotesque, bizarre, or unreal qualities

Examples of fantasia in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The pool, a multilevel fantasia of waterslides and relaxation areas, was laced with walkways shaded by native plants; our children played there for hours. —Julie Orringer, Travel + Leisure, 9 June 2026

Fuller, in turn, tapped into the new technology of electricity to create trippy fantasias in which the body merged with fabric and color to become something larger and weirder than itself. —Marina Harss, New Yorker, 3 June 2026

The paint is deftly mottled but its handling lacks the prowess of her later work (see, for example, Being Beamed, 1984, a fantasia of extraterrestrial teleportation in which the watercolor is sumptuous but perfectly controlled). —Jeremy Lybarger, Artforum, 2 June 2026

But this brutal tale, which switches from scenes of torture to high-camp fantasia, sets a greater challenge. —The Week Uk, TheWeek, 16 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

probably borrowed from Italian, "imagination as a faculty, rare phenomenon, exotic object, refined ornament, improvised musical variation," borrowed from Late Latin phantasia "imagination as a faculty, mental image of something perceived physically" — more at fantasy entry 1

Note: The musical term is conventionally attributed to Italian, though the linguistic context in which it is first used is uncertain.

First Known Use

1724, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for fantasia

• aphasia
• aplasia
• dysplasia
• achalasia
• euthanasia
• hyperplasia
• hypoplasia
• metaplasia
• neoplasia
• telangiectasia

Kids Definition

fantasia

noun

fan·​ta·​sia fan-ˈtā-zhə 

ˌfant-ə-ˈzē-ə

: a musical composition written without following a particular style