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Imaginary Meaning: Definition, Examples, and Translations

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imaginary

[ษชหˆmadส’ษชnษ™ri ]

Definition

Context #1 | Adjective

used to describe something that does not exist in reality

Existing only in the imagination or as a product of the imagination. Not real or actual. Fictitious or invented. Existing only in the mind or imagination.

Synonyms

fantasy, fictional, fictitious, unreal.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

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Word Description / Examples
imaginary

Use this word when talking about something that exists only in the mind and is not real.

  • She has an imaginary friend whom she talks to every day.
  • His fears about the upcoming exam were completely imaginary.
fictional

This term is usually applied to characters, events, or places that are invented for books, movies, or other narratives.

  • Sherlock Holmes is a well-known fictional detective.
  • The story is based in a fictional city during the 1920s.
fictitious

Used to describe something that is not real or true, often deliberately invented to deceive, making it sometimes have a negative connotation.

  • He gave a fictitious name to avoid being recognized by the authorities.
  • The company was found guilty of using fictitious invoices to avoid taxes.
unreal

This word describes something that seems so strange or fantastic that it appears to not be real.

  • The view from the mountain peak was so beautiful, it felt unreal.
  • The special effects in the movie were so good, they made the scenes look unreal.
fantasy

This word is used to describe something that is part of an imaginative world, often used in stories, books, or movies.

  • She loves reading fantasy novels about dragons and wizards.
  • The movie transports you to a fantasy world full of magic and adventure.

Examples of usage

  • It was an imaginary world where anything was possible.
  • She had an imaginary friend when she was a child.
  • The unicorn is an imaginary creature from folklore.
  • He told an imaginary story about his travels to Mars.
  • The imaginary line between fantasy and reality blurred.

Translations

To see the translation, please select a language from the options available.

Interesting Facts

Psychology

  • Imaginary friends often help children develop social skills and creativity.
  • Studies show that children with imaginary playmates might have better emotional intelligence.
  • The act of imagining helps develop problem-solving skills by allowing safe experimentation with different scenarios.

Literature

  • Imaginary worlds appear in many famous books, such as Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, where curiosity leads to fantastical places.
  • Authors often create imaginary characters that symbolize deeper truths or social critiques.
  • The act of imagination is a key theme in poetry, with writers using abstract concepts to evoke emotions.

Pop Culture

  • Imaginary concepts are widely used in games like Dungeons & Dragons, where players create entire worlds.
  • Movies like Inside Out personify emotions, making them 'imaginary' friends that help viewers understand feelings.
  • The term 'imaginary' often appears in music, describing experiences or feelings that can't be easily defined.

Science

  • In mathematics, 'imaginary numbers' extend the concept of numbers beyond the real number line.
  • Imaginary units are used in various physics concepts, enhancing theories about electrical engineering and wave functions.
  • While imaginary numbers seem abstract, they have practical applications in computer science algorithms and signal processing.

Origin of 'imaginary'

Main points about word origin

  • The word comes from the Latin 'imaginarius', meaning 'of an image' or 'not real'.
  • It entered the English language in the late 14th century, evolving from the concept of images in thought.
  • The prefix 'im-' signifies 'not', indicating that something imaginary does not truly exist.

The word 'imaginary' originated in the late 14th century from the Latin word 'imaginarius', which means 'relating to the imagination'. Over time, the word evolved to its current usage in English to describe something that exists only in the mind or imagination, not in reality. The concept of the imaginary has been explored in various fields such as psychology, literature, and art, highlighting the importance of imagination in human creativity and perception.

See also: imagination, imaginative, imaginatively, imagineer, imagining, reimagine, reimagining, unimaginability, unimaginable, unimaginableness, unimaginably, unimaginative, unimaginatively.

Word Frequency Rank

At #6,573 in frequency, this word belongs to advanced vocabulary. It's less common than core vocabulary but important for sophisticated expression.