imaginative
Americanadjective
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characterized by or bearing evidence of imagination.
an imaginative tale.
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of, relating to, or concerned with imagination.
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given to imagining, as persons.
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having exceptional powers of imagination.
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lacking truth; fanciful.
adjective
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produced by or indicative of a vivid or creative imagination
an imaginative story
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having a vivid imagination
Other Word Forms
Etymology
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
Explanation
To be imaginative is to be inventive and original. If you enjoy coming up with stories, writing songs, or just thinking about things in new ways, you’re an imaginative person. Great painters, musicians, and writers are imaginative. However, being imaginative isn’t just limited to the arts. When you're imaginative, you can develop a unique solution to a problem or issue. For example, an imaginative engineer might develop a new, more efficient way to construct a bridge. An idea or object that’s fresh and original — like that bridge the engineer designed — can also be described as imaginative.
Vocabulary lists containing imaginative
TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
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Literary Terms, Part I
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Writing - Middle School
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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.
Movie industry watchers say their success shows that audiences are hungry for imaginative, unpredictable storytelling from fresh faces, rather than the big studios’ tired sequels and retreads.
From Barron's • Jun. 11, 2026
If you keep hearing that your organization seeks “quick, agile, imaginative, technically proficient” staffers, that’s a potential red flag.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 3, 2026
Few knew that his scene was, in Mr. Auslin’s words, “almost entirely an imaginative reconstruction,” and the much-reproduced image became synonymous with the founding.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026
It’s inventive, creative, imaginative without rules — the way artwork perhaps used to be in the middle ’80s.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 11, 2026
Found the world over, children’s song repertoires are some of the most imaginative and interesting cultural examples of any genre and are important expressions of children’s lives in different cultures and eras.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
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.
