phantasm

phan·tasm | \ ˈfan-ˌta-zəm

How to pronounce phantasm (audio)

\

variants: or less commonly fantasm

Definition of phantasm

1 : a product of fantasy: such as

a : delusive appearance : illusion

b : ghost, specter

c : a figment of the imagination

2 : a mental representation of a real object

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Examples of phantasm in a Sentence

frightened by the phantasms of his own making believed that she'd seen the phantasm of her father on the anniversary of his death

Recent Examples on the Web His drawing shows an electric-blue phantasm on the wing, more like an angel or a pegasus than any earthly being. — J. B. Mackinnon, The Atlantic, "The Rich Meals That Keep Wild Animals on the Menu," 19 Mar. 2020 These phantasms could influence familiar particles in several ways, according to Johns Hopkins University theorist and MAGIS collaborator Surjeet Rajendran. — Charlie Wood, Scientific American, "New Instrument Will Stretch Atoms into Giant Waves," 18 Jan. 2020 Gottlieb’s story offers a fleeting glimpse into a world that is usually no more than a phantasm or a hideous dream. — BostonGlobe.com, "The CIA chemist who sought the secrets of mind control - The Boston Globe," 14 Sep. 2019 The rest are freaks and phantasms, the lone exception being Callie Hernandez as the millionaire’s daughter, who manages to seem wise and lost and sad before vanishing from the action. — Ty Burr, BostonGlobe.com, "‘Under the Silver Lake’ is a noir where the sun shines," 3 July 2019 That is, if temple history buffs can raise $500,000 to bring this different kind of phantasm completely into the light. — Maria L. La Ganga, idahostatesman, "What’s behind ’60s-era paneling at El Korah Shrine? A ballroom’s worth of ’20s art.," 12 July 2018 But when the team practices in Alexandria, that bullet hole will serve as a dark reminder of the phantasms which long haunt Eugene Simpson Stadium. — Chad Pergram, Fox News, "GOP unfinished business on the ball diamond," 26 Apr. 2018 Entire families of the hairy monsters apparently traveled the base’s buildings and corridors, appearing and disappearing at will, and to the bewilderment of base police sent chasing after the phantasms. — Aaron Gilbreath, Longreads, "The Known Unknown: Tales of the Yucca Man," 25 Apr. 2018 As Susan Owens highlights in her new cultural history of ghosts, phantasms and spirits have assumed many guises and taken up numerous causes over the millennia. — The Economist, "The evolution of the ghost," 28 Oct. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'phantasm.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Cite this Entry

“Phantasm.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/phantasm. Accessed 12 Jul. 2020.

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