phantom

American  

[fan-tuhm] / ˈfæn təm /

Or fantom

noun

phantoms plural

1. an apparition or specter.

2. an appearance or illusion without material substance, as a dream image, mirage, or optical illusion.

3. a person or thing of merely illusory power, status, efficacy, etc..

   the phantom of fear.

4. an illustration, part of which is given a transparent effect so as to permit representation of details otherwise hidden from view, as the inner workings of a mechanical device.

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or of the nature of a phantom; illusory.

   a phantom sea serpent.

   Synonyms:

   imaginary

   Antonyms:

   material, real

2. Electricity. noting or pertaining to a phantom circuit.

3. named, included, or recorded but nonexistent; fictitious.

   Payroll checks were made out and cashed for phantom employees.

phantom British  

/ ˈfæntəm /

noun

1. 1. an apparition or spectre

   2. ( as modifier )

      a phantom army marching through the sky

2. the visible representation of something abstract, esp as appearing in a dream or hallucination

   phantoms of evil haunted his sleep

3. something apparently unpleasant or horrific that has no material form

4. med another name for manikin

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Synonym Usage

See apparition.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• phantomlike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• phantoms
  plural

Etymology

Origin of phantom

1250–1300; Middle English fantosme < Middle French, Old French < Latin phantasma phantasm

Explanation

Look over there, across the room. Is that a phantom, some weary soul come back from the dead to haunt you? Maybe it’s a shadow, or maybe it’s a ghost. Either way, turn on a light and it’ll disappear. Hopefully. Sleeping is difficult if there’s a phantom in your room, because who can rest with ghosts around? Some phantoms are real, but phantom can also be used to mean "a trick of the mind," like hearing a person outside your window, but then realizing it’s only the phantom rustling of leaves in a tree. Phantom limb is when someone loses an arm or leg, but their brain can still feel where their limb used to be.

Example Sentences

Likewise, viewers will not be startled when Marina eventually discovers painful secrets about her mom and dad that cause her to reconsider those phantom figures.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 1, 2026

He’s still waking up to phantom alarms and discovering items he hid in cabinets and other places.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 23, 2026

As hearing ability declines, communication between the ears and brain may also become distorted, contributing to the phantom sounds associated with tinnitus.

From Science Daily • Jun. 10, 2026

Fraudsters are exploiting interest in the 2026 World Cup with a barrage of scams, as authorities and researchers caution against fake websites impersonating FIFA's official online presence to sell phantom tickets.

From Barron's • Jun. 3, 2026

Now Jody marched seemingly alone, with high-lifted knees and pounding feet; but behind him there was a phantom army with great flags and swords, silent but deadly.

From "The Red Pony" by John Steinbeck

Related Words

• hallucination