imagination

[ ih-maj-uh-ney-shuh n ]

/ ɪˌmædʒ əˈneɪ ʃən /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR imagination ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the faculty of imagining, or of forming mental images or concepts of what is not actually present to the senses.

the action or process of forming such images or concepts.

the faculty of producing ideal creations consistent with reality, as in literature, as distinct from the power of creating illustrative or decorative imagery.Compare fancy(def 2).

the product of imagining; a conception or mental creation, often a baseless or fanciful one.

ability to face and resolve difficulties; resourcefulness: a job that requires imagination.

Psychology. the power of reproducing images stored in the memory under the suggestion of associated images (reproductive imagination) or of recombining former experiences in the creation of new images directed at a specific goal or aiding in the solution of problems (creative imagination).

(in Kantian epistemology) synthesis of data from the sensory manifold into objects by means of the categories.

Archaic. a plan, scheme, or plot.

Nearby words

Origin of imagination

1300–50; Middle English < Latin imāginātiōn- (stem of imāginātiō) fancy, equivalent to imāgināt(us) past participle of imāginārī to imagine (imāgin-, stem of imāgō image + -ātus -ate¹) + -iōn- -ion

SYNONYMS FOR imagination

3 See fancy.

5 ingenuity, enterprise, thought.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR imagination ON THESAURUS.COM

Related formsi·mag·i·na·tion·al, adjectivenon·im·ag·i·na·tion·al, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for imagination

Does each character have one in real life that inspired it, or are they from your imagination?
The Zany Shades of Nick Kroll|Abby Haglage|December 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
She found instead a show of imagination, artistry, and above all, really happy people—and she quickly fell in love.
A Backstage Love Affair With Cirque du Soleil|Allison McNearney|December 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This little nook is the perfect spot for some quiet reading time or to let your imagination run wild.
The Daily Beast’s 2014 Holiday Gift Guide: For the Blue Ivy in Your Life|Allison McNearney|November 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
So after that initial inspiration, my imagination created the rest.
Amanda Knox: A Mother’s Obsession|Nina Darnton|November 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Today, Turkey in the German imagination has mostly to do with immigration, assimilation, and EU membership.
The 20th-Century Dictator Most Idolized by Hitler|William O’Connor|November 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And imagination reeled before their combined contemplation in the hands of these anmic and self-evident amateurs.
The Corner of Harley Street|Henry Bashford
This apotheosis by the Imagination is the subject of my present lecture.
The Pleasures of England|John Ruskin
The history of Shakespearean translation in Norway cannot, by any stretch of the imagination, be called distinguished.
An Essay Toward a History of Shakespeare in Norway|Martin Brown Ruud
The imagination hardly keeps pace with the progress of population, improvement, and civilization.
Select Speeches of Daniel Webster|Daniel Webster
In order for this to take place, a certain amount of reflection and imagination is required on his part.
Heart and Soul|Victor Mapes (AKA Maveric Post)

British Dictionary definitions for imagination

imagination

/ (ɪˌmædʒɪˈneɪʃən) /

noun

the faculty or action of producing ideas, esp mental images of what is not present or has not been experienced

mental creative ability

the ability to deal resourcefully with unexpected or unusual problems, circumstances, etc

(in romantic literary criticism, esp that of S. T. Coleridge) a creative act of perception that joins passive and active elements in thinking and imposes unity on the poetic materialCompare fancy (def. 9)

Derived Formsimaginational, adjective

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 imagination

imagination

"faculty of the mind which forms and manipulates images," mid-14c., ymaginacion, from Old French imaginacion "concept, mental picture; hallucination," from Latin imaginationem (nominative imaginatio) "imagination, a fancy," noun of action from past participle stem of imaginari (see imagine).

Idioms and Phrases with imagination

imagination

see figment of one's imagination.

imagination

noun

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Nearby words

Origin of imagination

Examples from the Web for imagination

British Dictionary definitions for imagination

imagination

noun

Word Origin and History for imagination

imagination

Idioms and Phrases with imagination

imagination