imaginative

adjective

imag·​i·​na·​tive i-'ma-jə-nə-tiv How to pronounce imaginative (audio)
i-ˈmaj-nə-tiv;
-ˈma-jə-ˌnā-
1
a
: of, relating to, or characterized by imagination
b
: devoid of truth : false
2
: given to imagining : having a lively imagination
3
: of or relating to images
especially : showing a command of imagery
imaginatively adverb
imaginativeness noun

Examples of imaginative in a Sentence

She wrote an imaginative story about life on the planet Venus. The restaurant's menu is quite imaginative.
Recent Examples on the Web Make no mistake, pursuing wildly imaginative spaces during a midday social media scroll is incredibly fun. Kelsey Mulvey, Sunset Magazine, 7 Mar. 2024 Those who need no refreshing will want to hasten to their nearest multiplex to plunge once again into novelist Frank Herbert’s wildly imaginative universe, brought to expansive, very sandy life by Villeneuve. Ann Hornaday, Washington Post, 27 Feb. 2024 Ideal for developing fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination, the four colorful cars will also inspire imaginative and creative play. Christine Luff, Parents, 27 Feb. 2024 In 2019, Christian Malek, a perceptive and imaginative leader, founded NCA, which not only became a successful business but also signaled a shift in the private equity industry. Tyler Giroud, USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2024 Verdict Rolling Square is great at innovation and this latest product is imaginative and highly effective. David Phelan, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024 Openness refers to a person's willingness to consider new ideas and engage in imaginative and unconventional thinking. Stephan Lewandowsky, Scientific American, 21 Feb. 2024 The water sign is known for being empathetic, imaginative, intuitive and, like, totally popular! Andrea Wurzburger, Peoplemag, 18 Feb. 2024 Before becoming City Ballet’s artist in residence, Ratmansky choreographed six ballets for the company — imaginative and vivid, each one building on the next. Gia Kourlas, New York Times, 16 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'imaginative.' 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 ymaginatif "employing mental images, curious, inventive," borrowed from Middle French & Medieval Latin; Middle French, "of the imagination, having a strong imagination, shrewd," borrowed from Medieval Latin imāginātīvus "of the imagination," from Latin imāginātus, past participle of imāginārī "to imagine" + -īvus -ive

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of imaginative was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near imaginative

Cite this Entry

“Imaginative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/imaginative. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

imaginative

adjective
imag·​i·​na·​tive im-ˈaj-(ə-)nət-iv How to pronounce imaginative (audio)
-ˈaj-ə-ˌnāt-
1
: of, relating to, or showing imagination
2
: having a lively imagination
imaginatively adverb
imaginativeness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on imaginative

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