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View synonyms for imaginary

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 im·ag·i·nar·ies.
  1. Mathematics. imaginary number.

imaginary

/ ɪˈmædʒɪnərɪ; -dʒɪnrɪ /

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


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Derived Forms

  • imˈaginarily, adverb
  • imˈaginariness, noun

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Other Words From

  • 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

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Word History and Origins

Origin of imaginary1

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

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Example Sentences

Before the pandemic, every time I left the house, I put on an imaginary “mask” so I could interact with people.

To the child, although they know that it is an imaginary being, the friend apparently has a mind of its own—sometimes saying it’s too busy to play, for example.

After turning around and flexing, Beal locked eyes with Russell Westbrook on the sideline, and both players cradled an imaginary bundle in their arms — rock the baby.

It’s the imaginary line that goes longways through the football.

That’s why he won, not because of some imaginary manufacturing of votes in Philadelphia.

I have an imaginary place, and these are the people who live there.

Did you make up any imaginary friends while you were in the caves?

Pretending and imaginative play also flourish, and imaginary friends are common companions to young schoolchildren.

It could be said, however, that the imaginary slide show monologue begat the very real novel.

Having celebrities is like having imaginary friends, which, come to think of it, most of our friends are.

He was continually presenting innumerable imaginary fivers to little people.

And then at last the man himself took to forgetting the imaginary writer and poured out words of love, warm, true, and passionate.

It is the fate of all authors or chroniclers to create imaginary friends, and lose them in the course of art.

He believed in demons, spirits, and dragons, and in nearly every house were idols in honour of the imaginary deities.

These stories represent early traditions and may easily be true, though they may be merely imaginary.

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imaginalimaginary axis