Added 9 October 2026
phantom
/ˈfæntəm/ noun
Latin root: phantasma Wiktionary
noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about phantom at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
-
A ghostly appearing figure.
we were unprepared for the apparition that confronted us
-
Something existing in perception only.
a ghostly apparition at midnight
adjective
Origin
Inherited from Middle English fantome, fanteme, from Old French fantosme, fantasme, from Latin phantasma (“an apparition, specter; (in Late Latin also) appearance, image”), from Ancient Greek φάντασμα (phántasma, “phantasm, an appearance, image, apparition, specter”), from φαντάζω (phantázō, “to make visible”). Doublet of phantasm.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)