imagination
Americannoun
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imaginations
plural
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the faculty of imagining, or of forming mental images or concepts of what is not actually present to the senses.
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the action or process of forming such images or concepts.
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the faculty of producing ideal creations consistent with reality, as in literature, as distinct from the power of creating illustrative or decorative imagery.
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the product of imagining a conception or mental creation, often a baseless or fanciful one.
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ability to face and resolve difficulties; resourcefulness.
a job that requires imagination.
- Synonyms:
- thought, enterprise, ingenuity
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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.
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(in Kantian epistemology) synthesis of data from the sensory manifold into objects by means of the categories.
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Archaic. a plan, scheme, or plot.
noun
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the faculty or action of producing ideas, esp mental images of what is not present or has not been experienced
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mental creative ability
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the ability to deal resourcefully with unexpected or unusual problems, circumstances, etc
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(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 material Compare fancy
Synonym Usage
See fancy.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of imagination
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, Middle French, from Latin imāginātiōn- (stem of imāginātiō ) “mental image, fancy,” equivalent to imāgināt(us), past participle of the verb imāginārī imagine ( imāgin-, stem of imāgō image + -ātus -ate 1 ) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
Imagination refers to the process of forming images or concepts in the mind, often images of things that are not really there. That shark in your bathtub must have been in your imagination — or was it? Often shunned for living in a dream world, imagination is behind unicorns, Big Foot, and excessive daydreaming. But it’s humans’ ability to picture what is not there, and to be resourceful and creative, that is behind many of our achievements. Maybe that’s why Albert Einstein said “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” After all, without a little imagination, we wouldn’t have the pyramids, the space shuttles, or the Star Wars trilogy.
Vocabulary lists containing imagination
Creative Writing - Middle School
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General Terms, List 1
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Creative Writing - Introductory
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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.
See Examples For:
Instead of confronting the grief head-on, Mr. Wladyka takes a more oblique approach, delving into Ha-Chan’s rich imagination to show her, for example, picturing herself floating weightless during a dance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026
But I think it’s good for people to see the artistry and the imagination of what people can build.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026
In the popular imagination, a Viking is tall, broad-shouldered man who wields a sword, and might have a modern haircut like a skin fade or lots of tattoos.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 23, 2026
Nirmala Singhvi, the lifestyle coordinator at the home, said: "Eric's story offers a warm and thoughtful look at creativity in later life, as well as the individuality and imagination that remain after a dementia diagnosis."
From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026
It was not the first time that he believed what the eyes of his imagination saw instead of what was real.
From "Adventures of Don Quixote" by Argentina Palacios
An exhibition at the Met Cloisters reveals the enduring fascination with hybrid beings in both Europe and the Americas, and similarities in the imaginations and concerns of vastly different cultures.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
There is a point at which viral dancing videos and AI-generated clips of the Cat in the Hat become something potentially more sinister, with real-world consequences beyond their impact on teenage imaginations.
From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026
That song helped me find that maybe there was a little river of romance in their imaginations in that moment.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
There are copious cognitive benefits and endless possibilities for where their imaginations can run, unbound by the limiting confines of a tablet.
From Salon ● Jun. 21, 2026
Little children, such as Anne, must never, ever correct their elders, no matter how many blunders they make or how often they let their imaginations run away with them.
From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank
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.
