imaginary

[ ih-maj-uh-ner-ee ]
/ ɪˈmædʒ əˌnɛr i /

adjective

existing only in the imagination or fancy; not real; fancied: an imaginary illness; the imaginary animals in the stories of Dr. Seuss.

noun, plural im·ag·i·nar·ies.

Mathematics. imaginary number.

Origin of imaginary

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

SYNONYMS FOR imaginary

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

ANTONYMS FOR imaginary

1 real.

OTHER WORDS FROM imaginary

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH imaginary

imaginary imaginative

Words nearby imaginary

imager, imagery, imagesetter, imaginable, imaginal, imaginary, imaginary axis, imaginary number, imaginary part, imaginary unit, imagination

British Dictionary definitions for imaginarily

imaginary
/ (ɪˈmædʒɪnərɪ, -dʒɪnrɪ) /

adjective

existing in the imagination; unreal; illusory
maths involving or containing imaginary numbers. The imaginary part of a complex number, z, is usually written Im z

Derived forms of imaginary

imaginarily, adverb imaginariness, noun