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

Wuthering Heights While Emerald Fennell’s forthcoming film is already stirring up conversation thanks to its surprising costumes, Margot Robbie and stylist Andrew Mukamal are already plotting a fashion fantasia for the press tour. —Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 30 Dec. 2025

Julian Fellowes’s Downton-esque fantasia on American themes was always watchable, with its cast of theater heavyweights and a proclivity for treating the mundane as melodrama. —Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025

The 17 suites of the new hotel are similarly minimalist sanctums made of polished concrete and dark wood, tucked away in a wilderness fantasia and connected to a main building where guests congregate around an infinity pool and elegant restaurant. —David Amsden, Travel + Leisure, 5 Nov. 2025

Their parents bought for a song in the 1970s, ’80s, and ’90s, and are now welcoming the kids back to a Baumbachian fantasia of coffee shops and parks, Chipotles and Aesops, boutiques and enviable public schools. —Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 2 Oct. 2025

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