imaginary en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- /ɪˈmæd͡ʒɪˌn(ɛ)ɹi/ (General-American)
- (General-American) audio
- /ɪˈmæd͡ʒɪnɹi/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- /ɪˈmæd͡ʒɪnəɹi/ (Received-Pronunciation)
Etymology
From Middle English ymaginarie, ymagynary, from Latin imāginārius (“relating to images, fancied”), from imāgō, equivalent to imagine + -ary. The mathematical sense derives from René Descartes's use (of the French imaginaire) in 1637, La Geometrie, to ridicule the notion of regarding non-real roots of polynomials as numbers. Although Descartes' usage was derogatory, the designation stuck even after the concept gained acceptance in the 18th century.
Meanings
-
Existing only in the imagination.
Wilt thou add to all the griefs I suffer / Imaginary ills and fancied tortures?
1712 (date written), [Joseph] Addison, Cato, a Tragedy. […], London: […] J[acob] Tonson, […], published 1713, →OCLC, Act IV, scene i, page 45:Unicorns are imaginary.
imaginary friend
-
Relating or belonging to the imagination.
Fiction refers to imaginary stories.
2003, Tom Conklin, Comprehension Cliffhanger Stories, page 31:
- (of a number) Having no real part; that part of a complex number which is a multiple of √ (called imaginary unit).
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| most imaginary | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| more imaginary | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic |
Deriveds
imaginary time (Expressions) · imaginary axis (Expressions) · imaginary number (Expressions) · imaginary part (Expressions) · imaginary unit (Expressions) · quater-imaginary (Expressions) · imaginariness · purely imaginary → purely imaginary number (Expressions) · imaginary geometry (Expressions) · imaginarily · unimaginary · imaginary friend (Expressions) · imaginary museum (Expressions) · imaginarity · nonimaginary · imaginary lat syndrome (Expressions)
Synonyms
all in one's head (existing only in the imagination)
Translations (131)
ca imaginari (existing in the imagination) · sl namišljen (existing in the imagination) · be вы́думаны (existing in the imagination) · fr imaginaire (existing in the imagination) · ta கற்பனை (non-real part of a complex number) · ta கற்பனையனான (existing in the imagination) · ga taibhriúil (existing in the imagination) · cs pomyslný (existing in the imagination) · la imaginarius (existing in the imagination) · pl zmyślony (existing in the imagination) · ru вы́думанный (existing in the imagination) · cmn 幻想 (existing in the imagination) · bg въобража́ем (existing in the imagination) · fi kuvitteellinen (existing in the imagination) · af imaginêr (non-real part of a complex number) · an imachinario (existing in the imagination) · th จินตภาพ (existing in the imagination) · fi imaginaari- (existing in the imagination) · mk имагина́рен (existing in the imagination) · lb imaginär (existing in the imagination) · hu képzetes (non-real part of a complex number) · az uydurulmuş (existing in the imagination) · ga samhlaithe (existing in the imagination) · es imaginario (non-real part of a complex number) · io imaginita (existing in the imagination) · io fiktiva (existing in the imagination) · hu képzeletbeli (existing in the imagination) · nl ingebeeld (existing in the imagination) · cs imaginární (non-real part of a complex number) · sh ѝзмишљен (existing in the imagination) · az xəyali (existing in the imagination) · pl urojona (non-real part of a complex number) · gu કાલ્પનિક (existing in the imagination) · pt imaginário (existing in the imagination) · he דִּמְיוֹנִי (existing in the imagination) · az uydurma (existing in the imagination) · ro imaginar (existing in the imagination) · ru мни́мый (non-real part of a complex number) · sl navidezen (existing in the imagination) · pt imaginário (non-real part of a complex number) · lt įsivaizduojamas (existing in the imagination) · nl denkbeeldig (existing in the imagination) · uk уя́вний (existing in the imagination) · ru вы́мышленный (existing in the imagination) · gd mac-meanmnach (existing in the imagination) · bg имагине́рен (non-real part of a complex number) · ml സാങ്കൽപ്പിക (existing in the imagination) · ga íomháineach (existing in the imagination) · hy երեւակայական (existing in the imagination) · ja 幻想的な (existing in the imagination) · sl imaginaren (existing in the imagination) · ar خِيَّالِيّ (existing in the imagination) · da imaginær (existing in the imagination) · it immaginario (existing in the imagination) · eu irudikari (non-real part of a complex number) · sh и̏магина̄ран (existing in the imagination) · pl umowny (existing in the imagination) · kk қиялдағы (existing in the imagination) · mk замислен (existing in the imagination) · ru мни́мый (existing in the imagination) · la phantasticus (existing in the imagination) · sh ȉmagināran (existing in the imagination) · el φανταστικός (existing in the imagination) · nb tenkt (existing in the imagination) · sk imaginárny (existing in the imagination) · tr hayalî (existing in the imagination) · ta கற்பனையானது (existing in the imagination) · ga samhailteach (existing in the imagination) · tg хаёлӣ (existing in the imagination) · ja 架空の (existing in the imagination) · de eingebildet (existing in the imagination) · cs imaginární (existing in the imagination) · bn কাল্পনিক (existing in the imagination) · ast imaxinariu (existing in the imagination) · hu imaginárius (non-real part of a complex number) · ko 환상적 (existing in the imagination) · sh ìzmišljen (existing in the imagination) · et imaginaarne (existing in the imagination) · lv iedomāts (existing in the imagination) · cy dychmygol (existing in the imagination) · af imaginêr (existing in the imagination) · de imaginär (existing in the imagination) · mr काल्पनिक (existing in the imagination) · sk pomyselný (existing in the imagination) · be выабража́льны (existing in the imagination) · sv imaginär (non-real part of a complex number) · nb innbilt (existing in the imagination) · ia imaginari (existing in the imagination) · lv imaginārs (non-real part of a complex number) · mwl manginário (existing in the imagination) · kmr aşopî (existing in the imagination) · id khayalan (existing in the imagination) · sv inbillad (existing in the imagination) · es imaginario (existing in the imagination) · nn tenkt (existing in the imagination) · haw moeā (existing in the imagination) · af denkbeeldig (existing in the imagination) · nb imaginær (existing in the imagination) · pl imaginacyjny (existing in the imagination) · eo imaginara (non-real part of a complex number) · az qondarma (existing in the imagination) · grc φαντασιώδης (existing in the imagination) · ru вообража́емый (existing in the imagination) · id khayal (existing in the imagination) · fi imaginaarinen (non-real part of a complex number) · id imajiner (non-real part of a complex number) · ka წარმოსახვითი (existing in the imagination) · ga samhlaitheach (existing in the imagination) · gl imaxinario (existing in the imagination) · bg изми́слен (existing in the imagination) · is ímyndaður (existing in the imagination) · sv imaginär (existing in the imagination) · ro închipuit (existing in the imagination) · nl imaginair (non-real part of a complex number) · uk ви́гаданий (existing in the imagination) · mi pohewa (existing in the imagination) · da indbildt (existing in the imagination) · eo imaga (existing in the imagination) · tr sanal (existing in the imagination) · pms imaginari (existing in the imagination) · fi imaginaari- (non-real part of a complex number) · el φανταστικός (non-real part of a complex number) · ko 가상적 (existing in the imagination) · io imaginala (existing in the imagination) · mwl eimaginário (existing in the imagination) · gl imaxinario (non-real part of a complex number) · de imaginär (non-real part of a complex number) · hi काल्पनिक (existing in the imagination) · sw -a kubuni (existing in the imagination) · be уя́ўны (existing in the imagination) · fa خیالی (existing in the imagination)