1
as in creativity
the ability to form mental images of things that either are not physically present or have never been conceived or created by others
a cartoonist needs a fertile imagination in order to create interesting cartoons on demand
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in creativeness
the skill and imagination to create new things
she lacks the imagination to be anything but an imitator of other directors' cinematic styles
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of imagination
Dolled Up Halloween This aesthetic continues to capture imaginations, with marionette costumes showing strong search growth lately.
—
Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Oct. 2025
Chastain, meanwhile, is the disruptor who stomped onto the scene in 2022 and surprised everyone — slamming contenders on the track, throwing punches off of it, riding walls into glory that baffled his competitors but simultaneously captured the collective race fan’s imagination.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 6 Oct. 2025
It was generally acknowledged that this was a World Cup without a genuinely outstanding team, after Brazil in 1970 and the Netherlands in 1974 had captured the world’s imagination with forward-thinking football.
—Michael Cox, New York Times, 5 Oct. 2025
Smith shooting the moon—twice, potentially—represents a resurgent breed of executive compensation that has captured the imaginations of a growing number of CEOs.
—Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for imagination
Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Oct. 2025
Chastain, meanwhile, is the disruptor who stomped onto the scene in 2022 and surprised everyone — slamming contenders on the track, throwing punches off of it, riding walls into glory that baffled his competitors but simultaneously captured the collective race fan’s imagination.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 6 Oct. 2025
It was generally acknowledged that this was a World Cup without a genuinely outstanding team, after Brazil in 1970 and the Netherlands in 1974 had captured the world’s imagination with forward-thinking football.
—Michael Cox, New York Times, 5 Oct. 2025
Smith shooting the moon—twice, potentially—represents a resurgent breed of executive compensation that has captured the imaginations of a growing number of CEOs.
—Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for imagination
Recent Examples of Synonyms for imagination
Noun
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But when talking about fashion, creativity has to be the leading force and the most relevant force.—
Miles Socha,
Footwear News,
4 Oct. 2025
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Presented by the Savannah College of Art and Design, the SCAD Savannah Film Festival is filled with cinematic creativity from award-winning professionals and emerging student filmmakers.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Today, the company builds structures with each one shaped by the same ingenuity and care that defined its first.—
Malana VanTyler,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
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That ingenuity extends to creating scales for what has yet to be measured.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
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In all of these places, the broad availability of talent—whether as founders, knowledge workers, or highly skilled blue-collar workers—is viewed as one core element of the corporate ecosystem’s success.—
Peter Vanham,
Fortune,
2 Oct. 2025
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In conversation, Blunt’s admiration for Johnson is clear, and so is her interest in making sure other people recognize his talents and capabilities.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
1 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Imagination.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/imagination. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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