fantasia

noun

fan·​ta·​sia fan-ˈtā-zhə How to pronounce fantasia (audio)
-zhē-ə,
-zē-ə;
ˌfan-tə-ˈzē-ə
1
: a free usually instrumental composition not in strict form
2
a
: a work (such as a poem or play) in which the author's fancy roves unrestricted
b
: something possessing grotesque, bizarre, or unreal qualities

Examples of fantasia in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Its fantasias are more melancholic, its themes of longing more resentful. Allaire Nuss, EW.com, 6 Feb. 2024 Such are the sublime absurdities that abound in this delirious historical fantasia, which can be said to be many things: funny, ghastly, eye-opening, marvelous and frequently confounding. Sam Sacks, WSJ, 12 Jan. 2024 Gerwig transformed Barbie and her world into a pop-pink feminist fantasia. Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 23 Jan. 2024 A certain ineluctable logic governs this collision of worlds: television’s foremost fantasia of Birkin bags, spa days, private-jet travel, and real-life Malibu beach houses infiltrating the most plastic realm there is. Vulture, 15 Dec. 2023 Despite this, this little boy playing Mowgli—with his soft gaze and nimble limbs—provides a jolt of energy to this colonial fantasia, one whose Technicolor palette heightens the artifice on display. Hazlitt, 29 Nov. 2023 Christopher Nolan’s biopic of the Manhattan Project nuclear scientist led the pack with 13 nods, while Greta Gerwig’s arch pink fantasia is up for eight. Nr Editors, National Review, 26 Jan. 2024 But Milwaukee rapper Mari Boy Mula Mar’s Valentine’s Day project Bitty Breaker is a full-on love fantasia, where his deep feelings are communicated via pure horniness. Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 19 Dec. 2023 Disco, a mirror-ball fantasia born of Black, Latin, and L.G.B.T.Q. night life, mixed genres in search of the most glamorous, danceable grooves; New Wave kept punk’s D.I.Y. spirit and its reliance on irony but divested it of its sneer. Michelle Orange, The New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fantasia.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

probably borrowed from Italian, "imagination as a faculty, rare phenomenon, exotic object, refined ornament, improvised musical variation," borrowed from Late Latin phantasia "imagination as a faculty, mental image of something perceived physically" — more at fantasy entry 1

Note: The musical term is conventionally attributed to Italian, though the linguistic context in which it is first used is uncertain.

First Known Use

1724, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of fantasia was in 1724

Dictionary Entries Near fantasia

Cite this Entry

“Fantasia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fantasia. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

fantasia

noun
fan·​ta·​sia fan-ˈtā-zhə How to pronounce fantasia (audio)
ˌfant-ə-ˈzē-ə
: a musical composition written without following a particular style

More from Merriam-Webster on fantasia

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!