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

The cherished 1939 fantasy has been expanded by generative AI to fit the giant parameters of the Las Vegas immersive venue.

From Los Angeles Times

The president is definitely alive and sounded like his normal self, which is to say he let loose a bunch of lies, strange fantasies and well-worn rants.

From Salon

He told the court that the boy was significantly autistic and was vulnerable, and said the boy's actions were not preparation for violence, but the "expression of fantasy, a kind of warped self-care".

From BBC

The Disney franchise exists as a fantasy version of European monarchies, and the only one of those that truly matters to Westerners is Britain’s.

From Salon

As the Dear Leader, he is trying to remake American society in his own image and according to his personal fantasies — and he has encountered little effective resistance while doing so.

From Salon

Related Words

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