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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.
Synonyms of figment
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
Boone is relentlessly hounded by figments of his guilty memory, by other ghosts, and by his daughter—all of whom emphasize his nefarious role in delaying action to combat climate change.
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Julius Taranto, The Atlantic, 27 Jan. 2026
On the live stream, Nacua questioned whether head injuries are real or just figments of the imagination.
—Nate Atkins, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2026
Soon, though, her world is turned upside down by an unsettling and persistent stalker — or just a figment of her own fracturing psyche.
—Chris Snellgrove, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Oct. 2025
Well, here’s something that won’t turn out to be a figment of your imagination: This is the year the curse of ‘Purple shirt guy’ is broken.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for figment
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Julius Taranto, The Atlantic, 27 Jan. 2026
On the live stream, Nacua questioned whether head injuries are real or just figments of the imagination.
—Nate Atkins, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2026
Soon, though, her world is turned upside down by an unsettling and persistent stalker — or just a figment of her own fracturing psyche.
—Chris Snellgrove, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Oct. 2025
Well, here’s something that won’t turn out to be a figment of your imagination: This is the year the curse of ‘Purple shirt guy’ is broken.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for figment
Cite this Entry
“Figment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/figment. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
figment
noun
fig·ment
ˈfig-mənt 
: something imagined or made up
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