imaginary
existing only in the imagination or fancy; not real; fancied: an imaginary illness; the imaginary animals in the stories of Dr. Seuss.
Origin of imaginary
1Other words for imaginary
Opposites for imaginary
Other words from imaginary
- im·ag·i·nar·i·ly, adverb
- im·ag·i·nar·i·ness, noun
- non·im·ag·i·nar·i·ly, adverb
- non·im·ag·i·nar·i·ly·ness, noun
- non·im·ag·i·nar·i·ness, noun
- non·im·ag·i·nar·y, adjective
- pre·im·ag·i·nar·y, adjective
- un·im·ag·i·nar·y, adjective
Words that may be confused with imaginary
- imaginary , imaginative
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use imaginary in a sentence
The duo started Postcards From Timbuktu in 2016 with a mission to help unemployed tour guides gain an income by sending cards from a city that’s become shorthand for a far-flung, if not imaginary, place.
Not getting any travel postcards? A project in Mali delivers delight — and a lifeline. | Bailey Berg | December 3, 2020 | Washington PostDespite my near-constant financial struggles, I’m still in a better place than the people of Pine Ridge, able to move around the country, crossing imaginary walls to visit the land in which they’re entrenched.
As the number of new covid-19 cases continues to grow, and social conditions shift to reflect new precautions and responses, it’s likely that parents will continue to see the coronavirus make an appearance in their children’s imaginary games.
Covid has invaded our kids’ pretend play. Experts say it’s a good thing. | Julia Pelly | November 23, 2020 | Washington PostNot all parents who engage in imaginary play with their children are getting diagnosed with covid-19, or brainstorming outside-the-box vaccine ideas.
Covid has invaded our kids’ pretend play. Experts say it’s a good thing. | Julia Pelly | November 23, 2020 | Washington PostIf a baseball travels through this imaginary box on its way from the pitcher to the catcher, or if the batter swings and misses, the umpire calls a strike.
A robot referee can really keep its ‘eye’ on the ball | Kathryn Hulick | August 20, 2020 | Science News For Students
Everyone has fallen in love with someone imaginarily in their head.
Caitlin Moran on Slut Walks, Feminism, and Being the British Tina Fey | Jesse Ellison | July 17, 2012 | THE DAILY BEASTThe virgin, with her God-begotten child, was pictured imaginarily in the heavens from time immemorial.
The World's Sixteen Crucified Saviors | Kersey Graves
British Dictionary definitions for imaginary
/ (ɪˈmædʒɪnərɪ, -dʒɪnrɪ) /
existing in the imagination; unreal; illusory
maths involving or containing imaginary numbers. The imaginary part of a complex number, z, is usually written Im z
Derived forms of imaginary
- imaginarily, adverb
- imaginariness, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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