Fantasma

Fantasma is the term used in Spanish and Portuguese to refer to a ghost or spirit of a deceased person. In a broad sense it denotes an apparition that may be incorporeal, capable of influencing the living or appearing in dreams and visions. Beliefs about ghosts vary across cultures and historical periods, with some traditions viewing them as souls lingering after death, others as memories given form, and still others as omens or supernatural signs.

Etymology and cognates: The word comes from Latin phantasma, borrowed from the Greek phantasma meaning an appearance or image, an apparition. It shares roots with the English word phantom and with related terms in other Romance languages, such as fantasía in Spanish and fantasia in Italian and Portuguese, which extend to meanings of imagination and illusion as well as apparition.

Cultural usage: Ghosts appear prominently in folklore, religion, literature, theatre, and film across Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking communities. They are depicted as benevolent or malevolent, haunting locations, guiding or warning the living, and shaping rituals around death. In popular culture, the term appears in titles like El fantasma de la ópera (The Phantom of the Opera) in Spanish-language contexts. Beyond literal belief, fantasma is also used metaphorically to describe persistent memories, unseen presences, or lingering concerns that haunt a person or place.

See also: ghost, phantom, spirit, haunting.