imaginary

[ih-maj-uh-ner-ee]

See more synonyms for imaginary on Thesaurus.com

adjective

existing only in the imagination or fancy; not real; fancied: an imaginary illness; the imaginary animals in the stories of Dr. Seuss.

noun, plural im·ag·i·nar·ies.

Mathematics. imaginary number.

Origin of imaginary

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin imāginārius, equivalent to imāgin-, (stem of imāgō) image + -ārius -ary

Related formsim·ag·i·nar·i·ly, adverbim·ag·i·nar·i·ness, nounnon·im·ag·i·nar·i·ly, adverbnon·im·ag·i·nar·i·ly·ness, nounnon·im·ag·i·nar·i·ness, nounnon·im·ag·i·nar·y, adjectivepre·im·ag·i·nar·y, adjectiveun·im·ag·i·nar·y, adjective

Can be confusedimaginary imaginative

Synonyms

See more synonyms for imaginary on Thesaurus.com

1. fanciful, visionary, shadowy, chimerical, baseless, illusory.

Antonyms

1. real.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for imaginary

Contemporary Examples

I have an imaginary place, and these are the people who live there.
Tony Earley's Imaginary Friends
Mindy Farabee
September 2, 2014
Did you make up any imaginary friends while you were in the caves?
Scott Haze on Playing a Necrophiliac in ‘Child of God’ and Naked Paintballing with James Franco
Melissa Leon
August 3, 2014
Pretending and imaginative play also flourish, and imaginary friends are common companions to young schoolchildren.
Diagnosing Jane, Louis C.K.’s Troubled Daughter on ‘Louie’ Who Can’t Separate Dreams From Reality
Russell Saunders
May 15, 2014
It could be said, however, that the imaginary slide show monologue begat the very real novel.
The Climax of ‘Portnoy’s Complaint’
Robert Hofler
May 14, 2014
Because this is my book,” Kibbe writes, he decided to “mash up” the conversations into an “imaginary gab fest.
Why The Tea Party Won’t Go Away And More Wisdom From Matt Kibbe
Michael Signer
April 23, 2014

Historical Examples

He bathed in this imaginary future as in the waters of omnipotence.
The Spenders
Harry Leon Wilson
And she created an imaginary experience for herself almost unknowingly.
The Dream
Emile Zola
This is because he is dealing with an imaginary world, not with the world as it is.
The Call of the Twentieth Century
David Starr Jordan
In politics, an imaginary rat-pit in which the statesman wrestles with his record.
The Devil's Dictionary
Ambrose Bierce
Then beat an imaginary child, and said, 'Broom-handles and pokers.'
Little Dorrit
Charles Dickens

British Dictionary definitions for imaginary

imaginary

adjective

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 Formsimaginarily, adverbimaginariness, 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

Word Origin and History for imaginary

adj.

"not real," late 14c., ymaginaire, from imagine + -ary; or else from Late Latin imaginarius "seeming, fancied," from imaginari. Imaginary friend (one who does not exist) attested by 1789.

imaginary

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}imaginary

Synonyms

Antonyms

Examples from the Web for imaginary

Contemporary Examples

I have an imaginary place, and these are the people who live there.

Did you make up any imaginary friends while you were in the caves?

Pretending and imaginative play also flourish, and imaginary friends are common companions to young schoolchildren.

It could be said, however, that the imaginary slide show monologue begat the very real novel.

Because this is my book,” Kibbe writes, he decided to “mash up” the conversations into an “imaginary gab fest.

Historical Examples

He bathed in this imaginary future as in the waters of omnipotence.

And she created an imaginary experience for herself almost unknowingly.

This is because he is dealing with an imaginary world, not with the world as it is.

In politics, an imaginary rat-pit in which the statesman wrestles with his record.

Then beat an imaginary child, and said, 'Broom-handles and pokers.'

imaginary

Word Origin and History for imaginary

adj.

Origin of imaginary