fanciful
Americanadjective
-
not based on fact; dubious or imaginary
fanciful notions
-
made or designed in a curious, intricate, or imaginative way
-
indulging in or influenced by fancy; whimsical
Other Word Forms
- fancifully adverb
- fancifulness noun
- overfanciful adjective
- overfancifully adverb
- overfancifulness noun
- unfanciful adjective
Etymology
Origin of fanciful
Explanation
Turn fanciful around and you get "full of fancy," which gives you the gist of the meaning. The adjective refers to something not quite real, usually something with a whimsical or even dreamlike quality. The adjective fanciful sprang from the 15th-century noun fancy, which was in turn a short version of the word fantasy. All three words contain the same elemental meaning, that of something unreal. Someone who is fanciful usually allows creative thought rather than the practical to come to the forefront. Edgar Allan Poe said, "It will be found, in fact, that the ingenious are always fanciful, and the truly imaginative never otherwise than analytic."
Vocabulary lists containing fanciful
The New SAT: Words to Capture Tone
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The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 6
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30 GRE Words Beginning with "E" and "F"
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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.
Youth orchestras in each borough appear to be a fanciful suggestion.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026
It is not fanciful to suspect that Iranian capabilities are being degraded very quickly.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 13, 2026
The RFU has promised an open inquest into what has gone wrong and, regardless of what happens in Paris - and a victory appears fanciful - this needs to be forensic.
From BBC • Mar. 8, 2026
The bright colors, asymmetry and fanciful woodwork of Queen Annes gained nationwide popularity in the late 19th century.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026
Although she kept an eye out for unicorns, Kendra saw no fanciful creatures.
From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
