View synonyms for imaginative

imaginative

[ih-maj-uh-nuh-tiv, -ney-tiv]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

adjective

characterized by or bearing evidence of imagination.
an imaginative tale.
Synonyms: ingenious, clever, inventive, creative
of, relating to, or concerned with imagination.
given to imagining, as persons.
having exceptional powers of imagination.
lacking truth; fanciful.

imaginative

/ ɪˈmædʒɪnətɪv /

adjective

produced by or indicative of a vivid or creative imagination
an imaginative story
having a vivid imagination

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Other Word Forms

imaginatively adverb
imaginativeness noun
overimaginative adjective
overimaginatively adverb
overimaginativeness noun
unimaginative adjective
unimaginatively adverb

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Word History and Origins

Origin of imaginative¹

1350–1400; Middle English < Medieval Latin imāginātīvus imaginary, imaginative, equivalent to Latin imāgināt ( us ) imagined ( imagination ) + -īvus -ive; replacing Middle English imaginatif < Middle French < Medieval Latin, as above

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Are the lyrics imaginative or are the details too specific to brush off as fiction?

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Organised by the journal Annals of Improbable Research and co-sponsored by Harvard-Radcliffe groups, the 34-year-old Ig Nobel awards 10 prizes annually, aiming to ”make people laugh, then think… celebrate the unusual, honour the imaginative”.

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The New York Philharmonic produced beauty and excitement, but Lim went his own way that wasn’t quite imaginative enough to improve on Bartók.

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For “The Cortège” approaches a difficult subject matter with an imaginative question: What if we explore grief not with isolation or solemness, but with wonder?

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Related Words

imagination imaginatively

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