adj
phantasmal
Phantasmal (adj) means existing only in the imagination, like a ghost or vision; not real.
adj
1
Existing only in the imagination, like a ghost or vision; not real.
"Mr. Audley, the chairman, was an amiable, elderly man who still wore Gladstone collars; he was a kind of symbol of all that phantasmal and yet fixed society."
— Gilbert Keith Chesterton, The Queer Feet (1910)
2
Ghostly, or like a ghost in the way it looks or feels.
3
Describing a vision of a person, alive or dead, who is not really there in front of you, as if seen through telepathy.
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Etymology
Formed from phantasm or phantasma (“phantasm”) plus -al (suffix meaning ‘of or pertaining to’, forming adjectives).
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Frequently asked questions
What is the meaning of phantasmal?
"phantasmal" (adj) means existing only in the imagination, like a ghost or vision; not real.
What is another word for phantasmal?
Other words for "phantasmal" include ghostly, spectral, ghostlike, apparitional, spiritual.
What are the different meanings of phantasmal?
"phantasmal" has 3 main meanings: 1. Existing only in the imagination, like a ghost or vision; not real; 2. Ghostly, or like a ghost in the way it looks or feels; 3. Describing a vision of a person, alive or dead, who is not really there in front of you, as if seen through telepathy.