imaginary

[ ih-maj-uh-ner-ee ]

adjective

1. existing only in the imagination or fancy; not real; fancied:

   an imaginary illness; the imaginary animals in the stories of Dr. Seuss.

   Synonyms: illusory, baseless, chimerical, shadowy, visionary, fanciful

   Antonyms: real

noun

plural imaginaries.

1. Mathematics. imaginary number.

imaginary

/ -dʒɪnrɪ; ɪˈmædʒɪnərɪ /

adjective

1. existing in the imagination; unreal; illusory
2. maths involving or containing imaginary numbers. The imaginary part of a complex number, z, is usually written Im z

Derived Forms

• imˈaginariness, noun
• imˈaginarily, adverb

Other Word Forms

• im·agi·nari·ly adverb
• im·agi·nari·ness noun
• nonim·agi·nari·ly adverb
• nonim·agi·nari·ly·ness noun
• nonim·agi·nari·ness noun
• nonim·agi·nary adjective
• preim·agi·nary adjective
• unim·agi·nary adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of imaginary¹

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin imāginārius, equivalent to imāgin-, (stem of imāgō ) image + -ārius -ary

Example Sentences

This person has had a couple of big roles but no huge mainstream breakthrough yet, and that fact has made your imaginary kinship even stronger.

From Salon

Woods erupted, raising his fists in front of him as if curling an imaginary barbell, and the gallery behind him unleashed a roar.

From Los Angeles Times

Maybe she can be there as his imaginary friend that guides him through life.

From Los Angeles Times

Instead, women are told to focus their energies on the domestic sphere, to shield their own children from threats, many of them imaginary.

From Salon

With his right index finger, Osada drew an imaginary line across his windshield.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• abstract
• fanciful
• fantastic
• fictional
• hypothetical
• imagined
• theoretical
• unreal
• whimsical