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imaginary unit

American  

noun

Mathematics.

  1. the complex number i.

Etymology

Origin of imaginary unit

First recorded in 1905–10

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.

We will use the imaginary unit to simplify the square roots of negative numbers.

From Textbooks • May 6, 2020

The number i is the imaginary unit, a square root of -1.

From Slate • Feb. 6, 2018

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.