Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Same as fantastic.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Fanciful; unreal; whimsical; capricious; fantastic.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Of or pertaining to fantasy.
  • adjective fanciful or whimsical
  • adjective fantastic

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective ludicrously odd
  • adjective existing in fancy only

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

fantastic +‎ -al

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word fantastical.

Examples

  • IV. iii.163 (113,4) [if the old fantastical duke] Sir Thomas Hammer reads, _the_ odd _fantastical duke_, but _old_ is a common word of aggravation in ludicrous language, as, _there was_ old _revelling_.

    Notes to Shakespeare — Volume 01: Comedies Samuel Johnson 1746

  • I. iii.53 (410,5) Are ye fantastical] By _fantastical_, he means creatures of fantasy or imagination; the question is, Are these real beings before us, or are we deceived by illusions of fancy?

    Notes to Shakespeare, Volume III: The Tragedies Samuel Johnson 1746

  • The winners of the 16th annual Spectrum Awards, celebrating the best in fantastical art, have been announced.

    WINNERS: Spectrum 16 Awards 2009

  • Some good questions were asked by the librarians, though, including the problem with gay secondary characters in fantastical settings (I interpreted this as how much 'weight' should be given to homophobia in these books when the world is new and the individual concerned is not the protagonist) and what book were the panelists currently reading (the audience was entertained by my description of Three Bags Full).

    Travels and Teeth mroctober 2010

  • Some good questions were asked by the librarians, though, including the problem with gay secondary characters in fantastical settings (I interpreted this as how much 'weight' should be given to homophobia in these books when the world is new and the individual concerned is not the protagonist) and what book were the panelists currently reading (the audience was entertained by my description of Three Bags Full).

    mroctober: Travels and Teeth mroctober 2010

  • The winners of the 16th annual Spectrum Awards, celebrating the best in fantastical art, have been announced.

    March 2009 2009

  • It's not a coincidence that I quoted his notions of raciality in fantastical races above.

    Ishoo Wun 2007

  • The only element even slightly fantastical is the sheer grotesqueness of the characters, the sheer size of the giant, moldering castle.

    Are There Any SF/F Books You Could Not Finish? 2007

  • It's not a coincidence that I quoted his notions of raciality in fantastical races above.

    SeeLight: 2007

  • (I just say they can't be defining criteria; taken too literally, by the way, you'd get the kind of science fiction that I really hate: where have to skim pages of pseudo-scientific bullshit to explain fantastical devices).

    Putting SciFi in its place 2006

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.