phantasy

noun

phan·​ta·​sy

less common spelling of fantasy

1
: the power or process of creating especially unrealistic or improbable mental images in response to psychological need
an object of fantasy
also : a mental image or a series of mental images (such as a daydream) so created
sexual fantasies
2
: a creation of the imaginative faculty whether expressed or merely conceived: such as
a
: a chimerical or fantastic notion
His plans are pure fantasy.
b
: imaginative fiction featuring especially strange settings and grotesque characters
spent the summer reading fantasy

called also fantasy fiction

c
: fantasia sense 1
the organ fantasy of Johannes Brahms
d
: a fanciful design or invention
a fantasy of delicate tracery
3
: fancy
especially : the free play of creative imagination
4
: caprice
served to fulfill the king's fantasies
5
often attributive : a coin usually not intended for circulation as currency and often issued by a dubious authority (such as a government-in-exile)
6
obsolete : hallucination

Examples of phantasy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The forest floor is bright with flowers, tree buds are bursting with new life, and the vitality of the forest and its creatures seems on the verge of erupting into some unbelievable phantasy of sound and color. Charles Elliott, Outdoor Life, 20 Mar. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'phantasy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Dictionary Entries Near phantasy

Cite this Entry

“Phantasy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/phantasy. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

phantasy

variant of fantasy

Medical Definition

phantasy

variant of fantasy

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