figment

American  

[fig-muhnt] / ˈfɪg mənt /

noun

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.

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

The revs are but an airy figment in your febrile mind.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 28, 2026

At the time, the threat from Hamilton was so distant as to be almost a figment of the imagination.

From BBC • Sep. 7, 2025

“He’s in great shape. We were talking hitting. Obviously, he’s a huge fan of Shohei. I told him, ‘I always thought he was a figment of my imagination.’

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 13, 2024

There are competing factions on the question of what a color actually is — or if it’s anything more than a figment of our imagination.

From Salon • Nov. 16, 2024

This felt like a figment of her mind, the man she’d imagined her father would have become if he’d lived longer.

From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray

Related Words

• daydream