/fat"ik/ , adj.
denoting speech used to express or create an atmosphere of shared feelings, goodwill, or sociability rather than to impart information: phatic communion.
[ 1923; prob. phat ( ós ) spoken, capable of being spoken (verbid of phánai to speak; cf. PROPHET) + -IC; coined (in phrase phatic communion ) by Bronislaw Malinowski ]