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

OTHER WORDS FROM imaginary

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH imaginary

imaginary imaginative

Example sentences from the Web for imaginary

British Dictionary definitions for imaginary

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