imaginary

adjective

imag·i·nary i-ˈma-jə-ˌner-ē How to pronounce imaginary (audio)

-ˌne-rē

: existing only in imagination : lacking factual reality

: formed or characterized imaginatively or arbitrarily

his canvases, chiefly imaginary, somber landscapes

Current Biography

: containing or relating to the imaginary unit

imaginary roots

imaginarily

i-ˌma-jə-ˈner-ə-lē How to pronounce imaginary (audio)

adverb

imaginariness

i-ˈma-jə-ˌner-ē-nəs How to pronounce imaginary (audio)

noun

Example Sentences

The two groups were separated by an imaginary line down the middle of the room. an imaginary world of dragons and unicorns

Recent Examples on the Web This imaginary friend guides him through the tangent universe, encourages him to commit a series of crimes, and ends up triggering a chain of supernatural events.

Anatola Araba, ELLE, 1 Sep. 2022 Jackson’s imaginary friend, Crenshaw — a 7-foot-tall cat — comes back into his life.

Haben Kelati, Washington Post, 4 July 2022 And there’s an HBO series heading toward a season finale that’s been airing the organization’s real and imaginary dirty laundry.

Dan Woike, Los Angeles Times, 5 May 2022 The dynamic that the show sets up is imaginary, but there’s also a social commentary embedded inside the larger narrative.

Andy Meek, BGR, 6 July 2022 This is exciting because the scenario is not imaginary.

Forbes, 1 July 2022 In this sense, both the past and the future are imaginary, but real, too, as ideas.

Eula Biss, The New Yorker, 8 June 2022 Ultimately, the rays reach their most northerly point in the sky above the Tropic of Cancer, the imaginary line that parallels the equator at 23.5 degrees north latitude.

Aylin Woodward, WSJ, 20 June 2022 Then Black teenager Eugene Williams drowned after crossing an imaginary line dividing the races while rafting on Lake Michigan in July 1919.

Chicago Tribune Staff, Chicago Tribune, 29 May 2022 See More

imaginary

adjective

as in fictitious

not real and existing only in the imagination told by the psychologist that it was perfectly normal for their child to have an imaginary friend

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

fictitious
fictional
mythical
mythic
fantasied
imagined
phantom
fantastical
imaginal
ideal
unreal
fanciful
chimerical
notional
make-believe
phantasmal
theoretical
invented
made-up
pretend
phantasmic
hypothetical
fantastic
legendary
visionary
fabulous
chimeric
romantic
theoretic
fabled
abstract
fictive
unlikely
illusory
hallucinatory
delusive
phantasmagoric
unbelievable
visualized
unconvincing
nonexistent
phantasmagorical
conceived
delusional
deceptive
envisioned
pictured
concocted
envisaged
fabricated
feigned
inexistent
daydreamlike

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

real
actual
existing
true
existent
genuine
authentic
factual
physical
realistic
verifiable
convincing
substantial
corporeal
believable
tangible
solid
material
palpable
verified

Synonym Chooser

Some common synonyms of imaginary are chimerical, fanciful, fantastic, quixotic, and visionary. While all these words mean "unreal or unbelievable," imaginary applies to something which is fictitious and purely the product of one's imagination.

an imaginary desert isle

Chimerical combines the implication of visionary and fantastic.

chimerical dreams of future progress

In some situations, the words fanciful and imaginary are roughly equivalent. However, fanciful suggests the free play of the imagination.

a teller of fanciful stories

The words fantastic and imaginary can be used in similar contexts, but fantastic implies incredibility or strangeness beyond belief.

a fantastic world inhabited by monsters

Although the words quixotic and imaginary have much in common, quixotic implies a devotion to romantic or chivalrous ideals unrestrained by ordinary prudence and common sense.

a quixotic crusade

While in some cases nearly identical to imaginary, visionary stresses impracticality or incapability of realization.

visionary schemes

单词	imaginary
释义	imaginary adjective imag·i·nary i-ˈma-jə-ˌner-ē -ˌne-rē 1 a : existing only in imagination : lacking factual reality b : formed or characterized imaginatively or arbitrarily his canvases, chiefly imaginary, somber landscapes Current Biography 2 : containing or relating to the imaginary unit imaginary roots imaginarily i-ˌma-jə-ˈner-ə-lē adverb imaginariness i-ˈma-jə-ˌner-ē-nəs noun Synonyms chimerical chimeric fabulous fanciful fantasied fantastic fantastical fictional fictitious ideal imaginal imagined invented made-up make-believe mythical mythic notional phantasmal phantasmic phantom pretend unreal visionary See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences The two groups were separated by an imaginary line down the middle of the room. an imaginary world of dragons and unicorns Recent Examples on the Web This imaginary friend guides him through the tangent universe, encourages him to commit a series of crimes, and ends up triggering a chain of supernatural events. Anatola Araba, ELLE, 1 Sep. 2022 Jackson’s imaginary friend, Crenshaw — a 7-foot-tall cat — comes back into his life. Haben Kelati, Washington Post, 4 July 2022 And there’s an HBO series heading toward a season finale that’s been airing the organization’s real and imaginary dirty laundry. Dan Woike, Los Angeles Times, 5 May 2022 The dynamic that the show sets up is imaginary, but there’s also a social commentary embedded inside the larger narrative. Andy Meek, BGR, 6 July 2022 This is exciting because the scenario is not imaginary. Forbes, 1 July 2022 In this sense, both the past and the future are imaginary, but real, too, as ideas. Eula Biss, The New Yorker, 8 June 2022 Ultimately, the rays reach their most northerly point in the sky above the Tropic of Cancer, the imaginary line that parallels the equator at 23.5 degrees north latitude. Aylin Woodward, WSJ, 20 June 2022 Then Black teenager Eugene Williams drowned after crossing an imaginary line dividing the races while rafting on Lake Michigan in July 1919. Chicago Tribune Staff, Chicago Tribune, 29 May 2022 See More Word History Etymology Middle English ymaginarie, borrowed from Latin imāginārius "unreal, fictitious (in law)," from imāgin-, imāgō "representation, semblance, image entry 1" + -ārius -ary entry 2 First Known Use 15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a Phrases Containing imaginary imaginary part imaginary number imaginary unit pure imaginary imaginary part imaginary number imaginary unit pure imaginary Kids Definition imaginary adjective imag·i·nary i-ˈma-jə-ˌner-ē : existing only in the imagination : not real an imaginary world Medical Definition imaginary adjective imag·i·nary im-ˈaj-ə-ˌner-ē : existing only in imagination : lacking factual reality imaginary fears an imaginary illness imaginary adjective as in fictitious not real and existing only in the imagination told by the psychologist that it was perfectly normal for their child to have an imaginary friend Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance fictitious fictional mythical mythic fantasied imagined phantom fantastical imaginal ideal unreal fanciful chimerical notional make-believe phantasmal theoretical invented made-up pretend phantasmic hypothetical fantastic legendary visionary fabulous chimeric romantic theoretic fabled abstract fictive unlikely illusory hallucinatory delusive phantasmagoric unbelievable visualized unconvincing nonexistent phantasmagorical conceived delusional deceptive envisioned pictured concocted envisaged fabricated feigned inexistent daydreamlike Antonyms & Near Antonyms real actual existing true existent genuine authentic factual physical realistic verifiable convincing substantial corporeal believable tangible solid material palpable verified See More Synonym Chooser Some common synonyms of imaginary are chimerical, fanciful, fantastic, quixotic, and visionary. While all these words mean "unreal or unbelievable," imaginary applies to something which is fictitious and purely the product of one's imagination. an imaginary desert isle Chimerical combines the implication of visionary and fantastic. chimerical dreams of future progress In some situations, the words fanciful and imaginary are roughly equivalent. However, fanciful suggests the free play of the imagination. a teller of fanciful stories The words fantastic and imaginary can be used in similar contexts, but fantastic implies incredibility or strangeness beyond belief. a fantastic world inhabited by monsters Although the words quixotic and imaginary have much in common, quixotic implies a devotion to romantic or chivalrous ideals unrestrained by ordinary prudence and common sense. a quixotic crusade While in some cases nearly identical to imaginary, visionary stresses impracticality or incapability of realization. visionary schemes
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imaginary

adjective

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Phrases Containing imaginary

Kids Definition

adjective

Medical Definition

adjective

adjective

Synonym Chooser