Refers to an unreal image or apparition, often with a slightly literary or psychological nuance. Can be used for optical illusions, hallucinations, or metaphorical false images.
He said he saw a phantom in the desert.
The picture emerged hazily like an illusion.
Compound of 幻 (gen, 'phantom, illusion') and 像 (zō, 'image, figure'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word follows standard Sino-Japanese compounding patterns.