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Imaginary: meaning, definitions and examples

๐Ÿฆ„
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imaginary

 

[ ษชหˆmadส’ษชnษ™ri ]

Adjective
Oxford 3000
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

Translations of the word "imaginary" in other languages:

๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡น imaginรกrio

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ เค•เคพเคฒเฅเคชเคจเคฟเค•

๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ช imaginรคr

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฉ khayalan

๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ฆ ัƒัะฒะฝะธะน

๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ฑ imaginacyjny

๐Ÿ‡ฏ๐Ÿ‡ต ๆžถ็ฉบใฎ

๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท imaginaire

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ imaginario

๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ท hayali

๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ท ์ƒ์ƒ์˜

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฆ ุฎูŠุงู„ูŠ

๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฟ imaginรกrnรญ

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฐ imaginรกrny

๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ ่™šๆž„็š„

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฎ imaginaren

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ธ รญmyndaรฐur

๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ฟ า›ะธัะปะดะฐา“ั‹

๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ช แƒฌแƒแƒ แƒ›แƒแƒกแƒแƒฎแƒ•แƒ˜แƒ—แƒ˜

๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ฟ xษ™yal

๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡ฝ imaginario

Etymology

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.