imagination
/ɪˌmadʒɪˈneɪʃ(ə)n
/noun
1The faculty or action of forming new ideas, or images or concepts of external objects not present to the senses: she’d never been blessed with a vivid imagination her story captured the public’s imagination...
- He designed a series of lavish public celebrations to cement this image in the public imagination.
- He said the tragedy still captured the public imagination and interest in it had not waned.
- But one thing was undeniable; that children have vivid imaginations.
Synonyms
imaginative faculty, creative power, fancy
informal mind's eye
interest, fascination, attention, passion, curiosity, preoccupation
1.1 [mass noun] The ability of the mind to be creative or resourceful: she was set in her ways and lacked imagination...
- The first barrier is the lack of imagination and creativity in resourcing in schools.
- The garden lacked beauty and mystery and I lacked creative imagination.
- When will it dawn on them that we are capable of creating jobs by way of our own indigenous resources and imagination?
Synonyms
creativity, imaginativeness, creativeness;
vision, inspiration, insight, inventiveness, invention, resourcefulness, initiative, ingenuity, enterprise;
originality, innovation, innovativeness;
individuality, unorthodoxy, nonconformity;
cleverness, wit, quick-wittedness, genius, flair, panache;
artistry, artistic power
1.2The part of the mind that imagines things: a girl who existed only in my imagination...
- It can lead an audience to open their hearts and minds and imaginations.
- You don't have that kind of issue in Asia, so their minds and imaginations are less clouded.
- These cabin tours can be as inventive as campers' imaginations will allow.
Origin
Middle English: via Old French from Latin imaginatio(n-), from the verb imaginari 'picture to oneself', from imago, imagin- 'image'.