1
as in graphic
consisting of or relating to pictures
after a desensitizing series of imaginal exposures to the feared object, the phobic person is then exposed to the actual object
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in imaginary
not real and existing only in the imagination
the equator is merely an imaginal line
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of imaginal
Peter [Merry] likes to use is that, when a caterpillar is becoming a butterfly, new ‘imaginal cells’ emerge.
—
Big Think, 7 Aug. 2025
With one technique, for example—called imaginal exposure—you might be asked to visualize the process of going to the airport, boarding the plane, and experiencing a bad bout of turbulence.
—Angela Haupt, TIME, 10 May 2024
Mercury entering into Pisces turns up the imaginal juice.
—USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2024
Then, from bundles of cells known as imaginal disks, a new body takes form.
—Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2023
Big Think, 7 Aug. 2025
With one technique, for example—called imaginal exposure—you might be asked to visualize the process of going to the airport, boarding the plane, and experiencing a bad bout of turbulence.
—Angela Haupt, TIME, 10 May 2024
Mercury entering into Pisces turns up the imaginal juice.
—USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2024
Then, from bundles of cells known as imaginal disks, a new body takes form.
—Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for imaginal
Adjective
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Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium.—
Ella McCarthy,
Arkansas Online,
3 Mar. 2026
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The message was accompanied by a graphic depicting senior Iranian clerics being toppled as dominoes.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
3 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Nobody has ever called Brentford head coach Keith Andrews a magical or imaginary being.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2026
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Circumpolar stars Astronomers use a common set of reference points to project Earth’s north and south poles, and the equator, onto the celestial sphere, an imaginary sphere encompassing the sky.—
Vahe Peroomian,
The Conversation,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Her work focuses on connecting with culture and history through the visual world, which is evident in her books Patterns of India, and the upcoming Patterns of Portugal (Clarkson Potter, 2024).—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
9 Mar. 2026
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The research focused on helping Valkyrie adapt to changing conditions, traverse uneven terrain, and quickly connect visual information with physical actions for real-world robotic operations.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Sightings of mythical creatures in Rhode Island are far and few between these days, but a giant serpent that supposedly once lived in the woods of present-day Coventry is the subject of enduring local lore.—
Antonia Noori Farzan,
The Providence Journal,
6 Mar. 2026
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Some figures raise their arms in poses that suggest bodybuilders or mythic heroes.—
Miguel Sirgado,
Miami Herald,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Clevenger said McDonogh's greatest gift was his push to make sure The Courier Journal's photographic archive was kept safe.—
Lillian Metzmeier,
Louisville Courier Journal,
6 Mar. 2026
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There may even be photographic evidence of me collecting my winnings.—
Elise Taylor,
Vanity Fair,
3 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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In a signal of how much pressure there was to do right by the beloved fictional couple, four endings were written and filmed.—
Yvonne Villarreal,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
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The Irish Triangle may sound like a fictional, far-away land, but, luckily for Louisvillians, this magical corner of the Highlands is very real.—
Amanda Hancock,
Louisville Courier Journal,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The show traces the life and career of Ringgold, who introduced Black women’s pictorial, narrative and craft traditions.—
La Jolla Light,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 Mar. 2026
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Much like Early One Morning, the surrounding tubes in Bove’s work take on a decidedly imagistic, pictorial quality, their crumpled strands suggesting wide, overlapping brushstrokes varying in tone and texture depending on the play of shadow and light.—
Gordon Hughes,
Artforum,
1 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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To ventriloquize one’s parent is a bold move, and fictitious Barbara would absolutely read it as a betrayal.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Mar. 2026
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Who wants to sit through a fictitious novelist’s clumsy drafts?—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Imaginal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/imaginal. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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