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
- imaginatively adverb
- imaginativeness noun
- overimaginative adjective
- overimaginatively adverb
- overimaginativeness noun
- unimaginative adjective
- unimaginatively adverb
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.
But the expected seductive pull of the film’s sleazy pulp is noticeably lacking, mostly because the writer-director’s bloody set pieces aren’t especially imaginative.
From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026
Their low cost of entry and imaginative wagering options attract many who might not consider more conventional investing platforms.
From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026
Director Yuval Sharon’s company debut is an imaginative, expansive production headed by two top-flight singers, Lise Davidsen and Michael Spyres.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 12, 2026
"When they're very young they're so curious and they're imaginative and they want to try things."
From BBC • Feb. 18, 2026
This imaginative but impractical form of early notation, attributed to a ninth-century French monk called Hucbald, had the words rise and fall according to the shape of the tune.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
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.
