1
a
: something apparent to sense but with no substantial existence : apparition
b
: something elusive or visionary
c
: an object of continual dread or abhorrence
the phantom of disease and want
2
: something existing in appearance only
3
: a representation of something abstract, ideal, or incorporeal
she was a phantom of delight—
William Wordsworth
William Wordsworth1
: of the nature of, suggesting, or being a phantom : illusory
2
: fictitious, dummy
phantom voters
Examples of phantom in a Sentence
Noun
The book is about the phantoms that are said to haunt the nation's cemeteries.
The crisis is merely a phantom made up by the media.
Adjective
People claim to have seen a phantom ship floating on the lake.
A number of ballots from phantom voters had to be thrown out.
Recent Examples on the Web
Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025
Veneziale’s dad is often responsible for picking up items further afield, such as an animated phantom that had been listed on Facebook Marketplace.
—Laura Kiniry, Popular Science, 22 Oct. 2025
Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2025
No trail, just rock after rock, a phantom rattlesnake curled in every crevice.
—Rowan Jacobsen, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for phantom
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Noun
In this 2000 film starring Taylor Handley and Mickey Rooney, 17-year-old Pete Riley (Handley) works at the local movie theater, which is rumored to be haunted by a phantom.
—Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025
Veneziale’s dad is often responsible for picking up items further afield, such as an animated phantom that had been listed on Facebook Marketplace.
—Laura Kiniry, Popular Science, 22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
Today, guests say the laughter hasn’t faded entirely, with reports of footsteps, flickering lights and phantom chatter ringing through the halls.
—Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2025
No trail, just rock after rock, a phantom rattlesnake curled in every crevice.
—Rowan Jacobsen, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for phantom
Cite this Entry
“Phantom.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/phantom. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
phantom
1 of 2 noun
phan·tom
ˈfant-əm 
: something (as a ghost) that seems to be there but is not real : apparition
phantom
2 of 2 adjective1
: suggesting or being a phantom
2
: existing in name only : not real : fictitious
phantom voters
Medical Definition
phantom
1 of 2 noun
phan·tom
variants
also fantom
1
: a model of the body or one of its parts
2
: a body of material resembling a body or bodily part in mass, composition, and dimensions and used to measure absorption of radiations
phantom
2 of 2 adjective
variants
also fantom
: not caused by an anatomical lesion
phantom respiratory disorders
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