different between apocryphal vs phantom

English

Etymology

From Late Latin apocryphus (“secret, not approved for public reading”), from Ancient Greek ????????? (apókruphos, “hidden, obscure”, thus “(books) of unknown authorship”), from ??? (apó, “from”) + ?????? (krúpt?, “I hide”). Properly plural (the singular would be apocryphon), but commonly treated as a collective singular. “Apocryphal” meaning “of doubtful authenticity” is first attested in English in 1590.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /??p?k??f?l/, /??p?k??f?l/
• (US) IPA^(key): /??p??k??f?l/, /??p??k??f?l/

Adjective

apocryphal (comparative more apocryphal, superlative most apocryphal)

1. (Christianity) Of, or pertaining to, the Apocrypha.
2. (by extension) Of doubtful authenticity, or lacking authority; not regarded as canonical. [from 1590s]

   Synonyms: allonymous, spurious

   Antonym: canonical

3. (by extension) Of dubious veracity; of questionable accuracy or truthfulness; anecdotal or in the nature of an urban legend.

   Synonym: anecdotal

Related terms

Translations

Further reading

• Apocrypha on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Apocryphal Literature in the Encyclopædia Britannica (11th edition, 1911)

English

Alternative forms

• fantom (archaic)

Etymology

From Middle English fantom, fantum, from Old French fantosme, fantasme, from Latin phantasma (“an apparition, specter; (in Late Latin also) appearance, image”), from Ancient Greek ???????? (phántasma, “phantasm, an appearance, image, apparition, specter”), from ??????? (phantáz?, “I make visible”). Doublet of phantasm.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?fænt?m/

Noun

phantom (plural phantoms)

1. A ghost or apparition.
2. Something apparently seen, heard, or sensed, but having no physical reality; an image that appears only in the mind; an illusion or delusion.
3. (bridge) A placeholder for a pair of players when there are an odd number of pairs playing.
4. (medical imaging) A test object. (Can we add an example for this sense?)

Synonyms

• ghost
• See also Thesaurus:ghost

Derived terms

• phantom limb
• phantom pain

Related terms

• fantasy

Translations

Adjective

phantom (not comparable)

1. Illusive.
2. Fictitious or nonexistent.

Translations

Further reading

• Douglas Harper (2001–2021) , “phantom”, in Online Etymology Dictionary

Anagrams

• Hampton