figment

American  

[fig-muhnt] / ˈfɪg mənt /

noun

figments plural

1. a mere product of mental invention; a fantastic notion.

   The noises in the attic were just a figment of his imagination.

2. a feigned, invented, or imagined story, theory, etc..

   biographical and historical figments.

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figment British  

/ ˈfɪɡmənt /

noun

1. a fantastic notion, invention, or fabrication

   a figment of the imagination

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Synonym Usage

See fiction.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• figments
  plural

Etymology

Origin of figment

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin figmentum “something made or feigned,” equivalent to fig- (base of fingere “to mold, feign”) + -mentum -ment; see fiction ( def. )

Explanation

When something is a figment of your imagination, it means that you made it up. It's something that might seem real, but is really not. What does a fig- (not the fruit fig) have to do with something made up inside your head? It has to do with Latin, as usual — both figment and fiction derive from the same Latin word. But it might help to think of figment as a fig leaf — a figment is something flimsy and easily blown away.

Example Sentences

As Kunimoto says, private-fund valuations are often “a figment of imagination.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 19, 2025

And if this ends up being nothing more than a figment of my imagination, where’s the harm in choosing not to question it, if it gives me something I’ve been so painfully missing.

From Salon • Oct. 31, 2025

Who knows, maybe the daughter is a figment of her imagination too, though I don’t think the movie supports such a reading.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 9, 2025

But how well will they win - and how intoxicating will that half-back partnership prove now that it is almost a reality rather than an exciting figment of the imagination?

From BBC • Jul. 1, 2025

“It’s merely a figment of your overly active imagination,” Lori said.

From "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls

Related Words

• daydream