phantom

The word “phantom” means a ghost or ghostly figure; something that appears real but has no physical substance. In plain terms, a ghost, or more generally something that isn't really there but seems to be.

“Phantom” is pronounced FAN-tuhm (/ˈfæntəm/ in IPA).

Here is “phantom” used in a sentence: “Visitors swore they saw a phantom drifting through the old theatre.”

Depending on how it is used, “phantom” can be a noun and an adjective.

The word “phantom” comes from Latin. From Old French fantosme, from Latin phantasma, from Greek phantazein, "to make visible" — a doublet of "phantasm.".

“Phantom” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.

“Phantom” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a ghost or ghostly figure; something that appears real but has no physical substance.

Phantom and ghost are closely related and often used interchangeably to mean a ghostly figure that appears real but has no physical substance. Phantom can also extend more broadly, as an adjective, to describe anything that is not real or not actually present though it seems to be, such as a "phantom pain" or "phantom sound."

As an adjective, phantom describes something that is not real or not actually present, even though it seems to be, such as a phantom limb sensation or a phantom noise. This usage extends the noun sense of a ghostly figure into a general description of illusory or unreal presence.

They overlap but are not identical. A phantom specifically suggests something ghostly or something that seems real but has no physical substance, while an illusion is a broader term for any false or misleading perception, which need not involve a ghostly quality.