figment

noun

fig·​ment ˈfig-mənt How to pronounce figment (audio)
: something made up or contrived

Did you know?

A figment is something formed from imaginary elements. Daydreams are figments; nightmares are figments that can seem very real. Most figments are everyday fears and hopes about small things that turn out to be imaginary. But when the radio play "The War of the Worlds" aired in 1938, it caused a panic among thousands of people who didn't realize the Martian invasion was just a figment of the author's imagination.

Examples of figment in a Sentence

unable to find any tracks in the snow the next morning, I was forced to conclude that the shadowy figure had been a figment of my imagination thus far, the invisible human being has been nothing more than a figment of fantasy writers
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Your favorite Substack writer might be an AI figment. Melvin Backman, Quartz, 18 Nov. 2024 And even her closest confidantes reveal themselves as figments of her imagination at the most vulnerable possible moments. Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 16 Oct. 2024 An imaginary friend is one thing for a child and quite another for a 38-year-old man who drinks excessively with this figment every night. Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2024 Kessler was always a figment of Butcher’s imagination, as flashbacks to the rest of the season help clarify for us. Alex Raiman, EW.com, 4 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for figment 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, "fable, deceitful practice," borrowed from Latin figmentum "thing formed, image, invention," from fig-, variant stem of fingere "to mold, fashion, make a likeness of, pretend to be" + -mentum -ment — more at feign

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of figment was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near figment

Cite this Entry

“Figment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/figment. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

figment

noun
fig·​ment ˈfig-mənt How to pronounce figment (audio)
: something imagined or made up

More from Merriam-Webster on figment

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