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imaginary - 6 dictionary results

im⋅ag⋅i⋅nar⋅y

  [i-maj-uh-ner-ee] adjective, noun, plural -ries.
Use imaginary in a Sentence
–adjective
1. existing only in the imagination or fancy; not real; fancied: an imaginary illness; the imaginary animals in the stories of Dr. Seuss.
–noun
2. Mathematics. imaginary number.
Origin:
1350–1400; ME < L imāginārius, equiv. to imāgin-, (s. of imāgō) image + -ārius -ary

Related forms:
im⋅ag⋅i⋅nar⋅i⋅ly, adverb
im⋅ag⋅i⋅nar⋅i⋅ness, noun

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

Antonyms:
1. real.

imaginary number

 
–noun Mathematics.
Also called imaginary, pure imaginary number. a complex number having its real part equal to zero.
Origin:
1905–10
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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i·mag·i·nar·y   (ĭ-māj'ə-něr'ē)   
adj.  
  1. Having existence only in the imagination; unreal.
  2. Mathematics
    1. Of or being the coefficient of the imaginary unit in a complex number.
    2. Of, involving, or being an imaginary number.
    3. Involving only a complex number of which the real part is zero.
n.   pl. i·mag·i·nar·ies Mathematics
An imaginary number.
i·mag'i·nar'i·ly adv., i·mag'i·nar'i·ness n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Imaginary

Im*ag"i*na*ry\, a. [L. imaginarius: cf. F. imaginaire.] Existing only in imagination or fancy; not real; fancied; visionary; ideal.

Wilt thou add to all the griefs I suffer Imaginary ills and fancied tortures? --Addison.

Imaginary calculus See under Calculus.

Imaginary expression or quantity (Alg.), an algebraic expression which involves the impossible operation of taking the square root of a negative quantity; as, [root]-9, a + b [root]-1.

Imaginary points, lines, surfaces, etc. (Geom.), points, lines, surfaces, etc., imagined to exist, although by reason of certain changes of a figure they have in fact ceased to have a real existence.

Syn: Ideal; fanciful; chimerical; visionary; fancied; unreal; illusive.

Imaginary

Im*ag"i*na*ry\, n. (Alg.) An imaginary expression or quantity.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : imaginary
Spanish: imaginario,
German: eingebildet,
Japanese: 想像上の
More Translations »

Main Entry: imag·i·nary
Pronunciation: im-'aj-&-"ner-E
Function: adjective
: existing only in imagination : lacking factualreality <imaginary fears> imaginary>
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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