imaginary

adjective

imag·​i·​nary i-ˈma-jə-ˌner-ē How to pronounce imaginary (audio)
-ˌne-rē
1
a
: existing only in imagination : lacking factual reality
b
: formed or characterized imaginatively or arbitrarily
his canvases, chiefly imaginary, somber landscapesCurrent Biography
2
: containing or relating to the imaginary unit
imaginary roots
imaginarily adverb
imaginariness noun
Choose the Right Synonym for imaginary

imaginary, fanciful, visionary, fantastic, chimerical, quixotic mean unreal or unbelievable.

imaginary applies to something which is fictitious and purely the product of one's imagination.

an imaginary desert isle

fanciful suggests the free play of the imagination.

a teller of fanciful stories

visionary stresses impracticality or incapability of realization.

visionary schemes

fantastic implies incredibility or strangeness beyond belief.

a fantastic world inhabited by monsters

chimerical combines the implication of visionary and fantastic.

chimerical dreams of future progress

quixotic implies a devotion to romantic or chivalrous ideals unrestrained by ordinary prudence and common sense.

a quixotic crusade

Examples of imaginary in a Sentence

The two groups were separated by an imaginary line down the middle of the room. an imaginary world of dragons and unicorns
Recent Examples on the Web Their figures range from very small bulls to giant ones, to figures of saints and imaginary animals known as alebrijes. Fernanda Pesce and Alexis Triboulard, Quartz, 9 Mar. 2024 Now available to stream on Prime Video, the Amazon comedy follows Dean (Efron) and two lifelong friends (Jermaine Fowler and Andrew Santino) who invent an imaginary pal named Ricky Stanicky to blame for their various hijinks. Ryan Gajewski, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Mar. 2024 The film, which follows three friends who hire an Atlantic City performer to play their imaginary best friend to maintain a decades-long lie, hits Prime Video Thursday. Staff Author, EW.com, 6 Mar. 2024 Elections are about winning, within legal and certain moral bounds, not playing by an imaginary set of rules dictating kindness or sportsmanship. Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2024 Outside, a voice actor read from a script of what Siri would say as the men zoomed down the road in the imaginary car. Wes Davis, The Verge, 3 Mar. 2024 Williams made an imaginary letter multiple times as the Charlotte Hornets trudged toward the bench at one point during their 115-107 win against Utah at Delta Center on Thursday night. Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 23 Feb. 2024 Are cats really responding to the lure of an imaginary box with imaginary edges? Popular Science, 21 Feb. 2024 Machine learning, in contrast, runs on metaphors in imaginary space. David Berreby, Scientific American, 20 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'imaginary.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English ymaginarie, borrowed from Latin imāginārius "unreal, fictitious (in law)," from imāgin-, imāgō "representation, semblance, image entry 1" + -ārius -ary entry 2

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of imaginary was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near imaginary

Cite this Entry

“Imaginary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/imaginary. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

imaginary

adjective
imag·​i·​nary im-ˈaj-ə-ˌner-ē How to pronounce imaginary (audio)
: existing only in imagination : not real
unicorns are imaginary

Medical Definition

imaginary

adjective
imag·​i·​nary im-ˈaj-ə-ˌner-ē How to pronounce imaginary (audio)
: existing only in imagination : lacking factual reality
imaginary fears
an imaginary illness

More from Merriam-Webster on imaginary

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!