imaginary
Americanadjective
noun
adjective
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existing in the imagination; unreal; illusory
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maths involving or containing imaginary numbers. The imaginary part of a complex number, z, is usually written Im z
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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imaginarinessnoun
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nonimaginarilynessnoun
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nonimaginarinessnoun
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nonimaginaryadjective
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preimaginaryadjective
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unimaginaryadjective
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imaginarilyadverb
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nonimaginarilyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of imaginary
1350–1400; Middle English < Latin imāginārius, equivalent to imāgin-, (stem of imāgō ) image + -ārius -ary
Explanation
Anything imaginary is not real: it only exists in someone's head. We hate to ruin your day, but unicorns are imaginary. Our imagination allows us to think of anything we want, and things that only exist in our minds are imaginary. Many children have imaginary friends: people they talk to who aren't real. Mythological beings like dragons, Zeus, and Thor are imaginary. A fantasy about marrying a movie star is probably imaginary, because that isn't likely to happen.
Vocabulary lists containing imaginary
List 1
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Common Core Grade 6, List 4
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Common Core Grade 5, List 4
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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.
If you pay enough, the androids' hair, face and outfits can be customised to resemble a loved one, a celebrity, or an imaginary character.
From Barron's • Jul. 1, 2026
In the corner, Lionel Messi was moving almost in slow motion, his arms methodically swinging against an imaginary tide.
From BBC • Jun. 27, 2026
JR has used it often, as a massive-scale magical deception to make the Louvre Pyramid “disappear” into the old Louvre, and opening up an imaginary subterranean world below the Eiffel Tower.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 20, 2026
The imaginary “occurring elephant” is just one spacelike slice of that tube; one three-dimensional moment.
From Science Daily • Jun. 8, 2026
I hope she’ll feel the same way about pretend walls on imaginary stages, I thought as I tucked her hall pass into my pocket.
From "Liar, Liar" by Gary Paulsen
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.
