imaginary

adjective
UK: /ɪˈmædʒɪnəri/
US: /ɪˈmædʒəneri/

  1. Existing only in the mind or imagination; not real.

    1. My friend had an imaginary friend when she was a child. [ ] [ ]
    2. The characters in the novel were so vivid they felt more real than imaginary. [ ] [ ]

  2. Relating to or involving the imagination.

    1. The story explores the power of imaginary worlds. [ ] [ ]
    2. Children often create imaginary scenarios during their playtime activities with others. [ ] [ ]

  3. (In mathematics) involving complex numbers with a non-zero imaginary part.

    1. Imaginary numbers are used in electrical engineering. [ ] [ ]
    2. Calculations involving alternating current circuits often require the use of imaginary components. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

unreal fanciful illusory made-up
imaginary noun

  1. A complex number that can be written as a real number multiplied by the imaginary unit i.

    1. The square root of a negative number is an imaginary. [ ] [ ]
    2. In mathematics, understanding imaginaries is crucial for solving certain types of equations. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "imaginary" in English means: Existing only in the mind or imagination; not real., Relating to or involving the imagination., (In mathematics) involving complex numbers with a non-zero imaginary part..

The phonetic transcription of "imaginary" is /ɪˈmædʒɪnəri/ in British English and /ɪˈmædʒəneri/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "imaginary": unreal, fanciful, illusory, made-up.

Example usage of "imaginary": "My friend had an imaginary friend when she was a child.". More examples on the page.