fantasia

noun

fan·​ta·​sia fan-ˈtā-zhə 

-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

Trending on Billboard With Fresh Picks, Billboard aims to highlight some of the best and most interesting new sounds across R&B and hip-hop — from Jae Stephens’ new Y2K fantasia to 4batz and Lil Baby’s smooth new duet. —Michael Saponara, Billboard, 23 Sep. 2024

Formed between Gloucestershire and London, the duo presents a suite of synth-pop odysseys, woodwind fantasias, and ceremonial folk jigs situated midway between a sleazy club dancefloor and Stone Henge. —Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 13 Sep. 2024

As New York’s golden hour drenched skyscrapers in an ochre hue, Vogue Club members toasted the beginning of the city’s fashion fantasia from the hotel’s penthouse. —Eoghan O'Donnell, Vogue, 6 Sep. 2024

Little by little, year after year, Burton’s stories seem to have floated away into a whimsical gothic fantasia, untethered to any sense of reality, where everything feels equally impossible and so its impossibility never becomes interesting. —Constance Grady, Vox, 6 Sep. 2024

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

Kids Definition

fantasia

noun

fan·​ta·​sia fan-ˈtā-zhə 

ˌfant-ə-ˈzē-ə

: a musical composition written without following a particular style