Fantasy vs. Escapism — What's the Difference?

Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction set in a fictional universe, often inspired by real world myth and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and drama.

Escapism is mental diversion from unpleasant or boring aspects of daily life, typically through activities involving imagination or entertainment. Escapism may be used to occupy one's self away from persistent feelings of depression or general sadness.

The faculty or activity of imagining impossible or improbable things

The tendency to escape from daily reality or routine by indulging in daydreaming, fantasy, or entertainment.

A fantasia.

An inclination to escape from routine or reality into fantasy.

Imagine the occurrence of; fantasize about

A genre of book, film etc. that one uses to indulge this tendency.

The creative imagination; unrestrained fancy.

The performance of an escape artist.

Something, such as an invention, that is a creation of the fancy.

An inclination to retreat from unpleasant realities through diversion or fantasy;

A capricious or fantastic idea; a conceit.

A genre of fiction or other artistic work characterized by fanciful or supernatural elements.

A work of this genre.

An imagined event or sequence of mental images, such as a daydream, usually fulfilling a wish or psychological need.

An unrealistic or improbable supposition.

(Music) See fantasia.

A coin issued especially by a questionable authority and not intended for use as currency.

(Obsolete) A hallucination.

Relating to or being a game in which participants act as owners of imaginary sports teams whose personnel consists of actual players selected from a professional sports league and team performance is determined by the combined statistics of the players.

To imagine; visualize.

That which comes from one's imagination.

(literature) The literary genre generally dealing with themes of magic and the supernatural, imaginary worlds and creatures, etc.

A fantastical design.

(slang) The drug gamma-hydroxybutyric acid.

To fantasize (about).

(obsolete) To have a fancy for; to be pleased with; to like.

(transitive) To imagine; to conceive mentally.

Fancy; imagination; especially, a whimsical or fanciful conception; a vagary of the imagination; whim; caprice; humor.

Fantastic designs.

To have a fancy for; to be pleased with; to like; to fancy.

Imagination unrestricted by reality;

Fiction with a large amount of fantasy in it;

Something many people believe that is false;