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:
So after running his last race, he started a catering company, SoulFête!, where he was limited only by his imagination.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 9, 2026
"In the past, games where the users may have needed more imagination to fill the blanks or the gaps are now clearly expressed through the graphics that they see on the screen."
From BBC ● Nov. 8, 2026
They also reinforce the idea that Europe's ancient landscapes were generally brighter, more open, and more varied than the dense primeval forests often depicted in popular imagination.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 7, 2026
Little wonder he envied “those who can paint from their imagination”—as he once confessed in a letter to his friend Théodore Duret—even though imagination played a large role in his art.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
And as Tamika had pointed out during my bike-a-thon, “Knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world.”
From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas
The Cat and the kids dive into their cardboard boxes to find the misplaced Go-Backer and discover vast, amazing worlds informed by their interests and imaginations.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026
Mr. Seger’s nocturnal songs about romantic summers, fleeting love and teenage boredom stirred the imaginations of aging rock fans.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026
Later that day, The Times asked visitors to share their impressions of a museum that, until now, has lived largely in the imaginations of fans and in abundant social media posts online.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026
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
“The Night Bazaar has had to adapt, change form, and account for things like families moving to new countries and imaginations evolving,” explained Boo.
From "Aru Shah and the End of Time" by Roshani Chokshi
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
