imaging

American  

[im-uh-jing] / ˈɪm ə dʒɪŋ /

noun

1. Psychology. a technique in which one uses mental images to control bodily processes and thus ease pain or to succeed in some endeavor that one has visualized in advance.

2. Medicine/Medical. the use of computerized axial tomography, sonography, or other specialized techniques and instruments to obtain pictures of the interior of the body, especially those including soft tissues.

---

imaging Scientific  

/ ĭm′ĭ-jĭng /

1. The creation of visual representations of objects, such as a body parts or celestial bodies, for the purpose of medical diagnosis or data collection, using any of a variety of usually computerized techniques. Within the field of medicine, important imaging technologies include compuertized axial tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and ultrasonography.

---

Etymology

Origin of imaging

First recorded in 1660–70, for the earlier sense “imagination”; image + -ing ¹

Example Sentences

The company is rolling out its first new da Vinci platform in a decade, with a big step up in computing power, data analytics, and imaging.

From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026

For this study, a different satellite imaging system was used to map the forests in more detail, showing far greater numbers of new trees compared to previous studies.

From BBC • Jun. 4, 2026

“This strip of film, that’s the highest quality imaging format that’s ever been devised,” he told former CBS correspondent Scott Pelley.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2026

ICE catheters provide real-time, high-resolution imaging of the heart during electrophysiology procedures, according to Medtronic.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 3, 2026

It had been years since I’d even allowed myself the fantasy of imaging he was still alive, and yet here we were, together.

From "The Marrow Thieves" by Cherie Dimaline