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definitions

imaginative

[ ih-maj-uh-nuh-tiv, -ney-tiv ]
/ ɪˈmædʒ ə nə tɪv, -ˌneɪ tɪv /
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adjective

characterized by or bearing evidence of imagination: an imaginative tale.
of, relating to, or concerned with imagination.
given to imagining, as persons.
having exceptional powers of imagination.
lacking truth; fanciful.

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RELATED WORDS

ingenious, whimsical, fantastic, vivid, visionary, offbeat, fanciful, artistic, extravagant, original, romantic, avant-garde, clever, dreamy, enterprising, fertile, high-flown, inspired, poetic, productive

Nearby words

imaginary axis, imaginary number, imaginary part, imaginary unit, imagination, imaginative, imagine, imagineer, imagineering, imaging, imagism

Origin of imaginative

1350–1400; Middle English < Medieval Latin imāginātīvus imaginary, imaginative, equivalent to Latin imāgināt(us) imagined (see imagination) + -īvus -ive; replacing Middle English imaginatif < Middle French < Medieval Latin, as above
Related forms
Can be confusedimaginary imaginative
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for imaginative

British Dictionary definitions for imaginative

imaginative

/ (ɪˈmædʒɪnətɪv) /

adjective

produced by or indicative of a vivid or creative imaginationan imaginative story
having a vivid imagination
Derived Formsimaginatively, adverbimaginativeness, 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 imaginative

imaginative

adj.

late 14c., ymaginatyf, from Old French imaginatif and directly from Medieval Latin imaginativus, from imaginat-, stem of Latin imaginari (see imagine). Related: Imaginatively; imaginativeness.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper