imaginary

adjective

imag·​i·​nary i-ˈma-jə-ˌner-ē 

-ˌne-rē

1

a

: existing only in imagination : lacking factual reality

an imaginary friend

b

: formed or characterized imaginatively or arbitrarily

His canvases, chiefly imaginary, somber landscapes …

—Current Biography

2

: containing or relating to the imaginary unit

imaginary roots

imaginarily

i-ˌma-jə-ˈner-ə-lē 

adverb

imaginariness

i-ˈma-jə-ˌner-ē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms of imaginary

• fictitious
• fictional
• mythical
• imagined
• fantasied
• imaginal

Choose the Right Synonym for imaginary

imaginary, fanciful, visionary, fantastic, chimerical, quixotic mean unreal or unbelievable.

imaginary applies to something which is fictitious and purely the product of one's imagination.

an imaginary desert isle

fanciful suggests the free play of the imagination.

a teller of fanciful stories

visionary stresses impracticality or incapability of realization.

visionary schemes

fantastic implies incredibility or strangeness beyond belief.

a fantastic world inhabited by monsters

chimerical combines the implication of visionary and fantastic.

chimerical dreams of future progress

quixotic implies a devotion to romantic or chivalrous ideals unrestrained by ordinary prudence and common sense.

a quixotic crusade

Examples of imaginary in a Sentence

The two groups were separated by an imaginary line down the middle of the room.

an imaginary world of dragons and unicorns

Recent Examples on the Web

Footnotes and excerpts from imaginary texts add to the story’s worldbuilding and its charm. —Literary Hub, 1 May 2026

The takeaway isn’t that morning anxiety is imaginary. —Allison Palmer, Charlotte Observer, 30 Apr. 2026

If consequences are optional, deterrence is imaginary. —Darlene Mealy, New York Daily News, 25 Apr. 2026

As Siâvash increasingly retreats into imaginary characters, the documentary traces a sibling relationship shaped and strained by displacement, set against a backdrop of escalating tension between Iran and the United States that carries personal consequences for both subjects. —Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 24 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English ymaginarie, borrowed from Latin imāginārius "unreal, fictitious (in law)," from imāgin-, imāgō "representation, semblance, image entry 1" + -ārius -ary entry 2

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing imaginary

• imaginary number
• imaginary part
• imaginary unit
• pure imaginary

Rhymes for imaginary

• accretionary
• apothecary
• bicentenary
• certiorari
• concessionary
• concretionary
• confectionary
• confectionery
• constabulary
• contemporary
• deflationary
• depositary

Kids Definition

imaginary

adjective

imag·​i·​nary im-ˈaj-ə-ˌner-ē 

: existing only in imagination : not real

unicorns are imaginary

Medical Definition

imaginary

adjective

imag·​i·​nary im-ˈaj-ə-ˌner-ē 

: existing only in imagination : lacking factual reality

imaginary fears

an imaginary illness