What does imaginary mean?
Imaginary describes something that exists in the mind but not in the external world. It can refer to invented creatures, characters, places, and events, as in an imaginary journey, and it may also describe assumptions or scenarios that are unreal rather than factual. In mathematics, an imaginary number extends the numerical system beyond the real numbers by representing the square roots of negative numbers. The word is especially useful when discussing invention, fiction, speculation, and mental life. It should not be used to dismiss a person's feelings or perceptions: calling an experience imaginary does not necessarily mean that the experience is insignificant or insincere. The term comes from the Latin imaginarius, meaning “of images” or “pertaining to imagination,” and developed through French into modern English.
Existing only in the imagination; unreal, invented, or hypothetical.
"The story follows a young girl and her imaginary companion through a magical city."
In mathematics, the adjective refers to complex numbers that are not real numbers.
A person or thing that exists only in the imagination.
"The child spoke to her imaginary as though it were a real companion."
This noun form is rare and occurs chiefly in literary or specialized contexts.
An imaginary number has no place on the ordinary number line, yet it became essential for describing many things that ordinary real numbers cannot represent.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of imaginary
The word entered English in the late 16th century from the Latin imaginarius, meaning “of images” or “pertaining to imagination.” The Latin form was derived from imago, a word for an image or representation, which is also the source of imagine, imagination, and imaginative. Earlier Middle English forms reflected the spelling imaginair before the modern spelling became established.
How imaginary is actually used
The adjective is common in general usage and mathematics. In formal writing, an unsupported claim may be described as imaginary, while hypothetical often emphasizes a proposition or scenario that could be considered under stated assumptions.
Easily confused with imaginary
Imaginary means unreal or existing only in the mind, whereas imaginative describes someone or something that is inventive and able to form original ideas.