imaginative

adjective

imag·​i·​na·​tive i-'ma-jə-nə-tiv 

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

Synonyms

• clever
• creative
• ingenious
• innovational
• innovative
• innovatory
• inventive
• original
• originative
• Promethean

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

Theater is a dynamic environment for imaginative people to do cool things, and audiences will opt in. —Ashley Lee, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2025

The show, aimed at 4-8s, follows the adventures of two imaginative siblings who stumble upon VR headsets that take them to Storyland, a world built on iconic stories from Indian mythology and folklore. —Max Goldbart, Deadline, 22 Apr. 2025

Learning outside the conventional classroom offers students the opportunity to undertake deep passion projects and pursue interests in imaginative ways, while leveraging a variety of robust academic resources. —Kerry McDonald, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025

First up is a three-hour long episode in which Blippi transforms a playground into an imaginative airplane adventure. —Annabelle Canela, Parents, 18 Apr. 2025

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

Kids Definition

imaginative

adjective

imag·​i·​na·​tive im-ˈaj-(ə-)nət-iv 

-ˈaj-ə-ˌnāt-

1

: of, relating to, or showing imagination

2

: having a lively imagination

imaginatively adverb

imaginativeness noun