fantasy

Rarely phan·ta·sy

[fan-tuh-see, -zee]

noun

plural

fantasies 

1. imagination, especially when extravagant and unrestrained.

2. the forming of mental images, especially wondrous or strange ones; imaginative conceptualizing.

3. a mental image, especially when unreal or fantastic; vision.

   a nightmare fantasy.

4. Psychology.,  an imagined or conjured up sequence fulfilling a psychological need; daydream.

5. a hallucination.

6. a supposition based on no solid foundation; visionary idea; illusion.

   dreams of Utopias and similar fantasies.

7. caprice; whim.

8. an ingenious or fanciful thought, design, or invention.

9. a genre of fiction involving magical, folkloric, or mythical elements.

   I've been reading a lot of fantasy lately.

10. Literature.,  Also an imaginative or fanciful work, especially one dealing with supernatural or unnatural events or characters.

    The stories of Poe are fantasies of horror.

11. Music.,  fantasia.

adjective

1. noting or relating to a genre of fiction involving magical, folkloric, or mythical elements.

   All his favorite fantasy novels are about elves.

2. noting or relating to any of various games or leagues in which fans assemble players of a professional sport into imaginary teams, and points are scored based on the performance of these players in real games.

   fantasy football;

   fantasy sports.

verb (used with or without object)

fantasied, fantasying 

1. to form mental images; imagine; fantasize.

2. Rare.,  to write or play fantasias.

fantasy

/ ˈfæntəsɪ /

noun

1. 1. imagination unrestricted by reality

   2. ( as modifier )

      a fantasy world

2. a creation of the imagination, esp a weird or bizarre one

3. psychol

   1. a series of pleasing mental images, usually serving to fulfil a need not gratified in reality

   2. the activity of forming such images

4. a whimsical or far-fetched notion

5. an illusion, hallucination, or phantom

6. a highly elaborate imaginative design or creation

7. music another word for fantasia fancy development

8. 1. literature having a large fantasy content

   2. a prose or dramatic composition of this type

9. (modifier) of or relating to a competition, often in a newspaper, in which a participant selects players for an imaginary ideal team, and points are awarded according to the actual performances of the chosen players

   fantasy football

verb

1. a less common word for fantasize

Other Word Forms

• nonfantasy noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of fantasy¹

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English fantasie “imaginative faculty, mental image” (from Anglo-French, Old French ), from Latin phantasia, from Greek phantasía “an idea, notion, image,” literally, “a making visible, display”; fantastic , -y ³

Word History and Origins

Origin of fantasy¹

C14 fantasie , from Latin phantasia , from Greek phantazein to make visible

Synonym Study

See fancy .

Example Sentences

Finally, India’s jingoistic domestic discourse on Pakistan, exemplified by a shrill media that struggles to separate fact from fantasy, has made it easier for Washington to ignore legitimate Indian concerns about the Islamic Republic.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

By that point, Descovich has expressed regret about possibly misjudging Glaude’s civics teacher, and one candidate in this fantasy gubernatorial race knowingly has capitalized on a manufactured scandal.

Read more on Salon

The collection of texts shows an atmosphere of open contempt and violent fantasy that was met with encouragement or silence from peers.

Read more on Salon

Antifa is an illusion, but like many such fantasies, it has power.

Read more on Salon

Despite writing about other worlds, realms and creatures, he insists he is not a fantasy writer, unlike JRR Tolkien, the author of the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings books.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• delusion 
• fancy 
• illusion 
• nightmare 
• reverie 
• vision