Dictionary

imagination en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /ɪˌmæd͡ʒəˈneɪʃən/

Etymology

From Middle English ymaginacioun, from Old French imaginacion, ymaginacion, from Latin imāginātiō. Equivalent to imagine + -ation.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) The image-making power of the mind; the act of mentally creating or reproducing an object not previously perceived; the ability to create such images.
   • She removed Stranleigh’s coat with a dexterity that aroused his imagination. 1913, Robert Barr, chapter 5, in Lord Stranleigh Abroad:
   • Imagination is one of the most advanced human faculties.
2. (countable, uncountable) Particularly, construction of false images; fantasizing.
   • You think someone's been following you? That's just your imagination.
3. (countable, uncountable) Creativity; resourcefulness.
   • His imagination makes him a valuable team member.
4. (countable, uncountable) A mental image formed by the action of the imagination as a faculty; something imagined.
   • It is a pleasant imagination to conceive a spirit iustly ballanced betweene two equall desires. 1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 14, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book II, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC:
   • And yet the invention of young men, is more lively than that of old; and imaginations stream into their minds better, and, as it were, more divinely. 1625, Francis [Bacon], “Of Youth and Age”, in The Essayes […], 3rd edition, London: […] Iohn Haviland for Hanna Barret, →OCLC:

Forms

Deriveds

sociological imagination · reimagination · leave to the imagination · counterimagination · by no stretch of imagination · imaginationless · leave nothing to the imagination · figment of one's imagination · imaginational · leave little to the imagination · misimagination · by any stretch of the imagination · by no stretch of the imagination

Synonyms

fancy (the representative power) · notion · conception · inventiveness (the representative power) · imaginativeness (the representative power) · imagining · invention (the representative power) · creativity (the representative power)

Translations (185)

fr imagination (image-making power of the mind) · cmn 想像力 (image-making power of the mind) · fi mielikuvitus (construction of false images) · ro imagine (mental image) · sh имагина́ција (image-making power of the mind) · pl imaginacja (image-making power of the mind) · hy երեւակայություն (construction of false images) · af verbeelding (construction of false images) · ru воображе́ние (image-making power of the mind) · ba хыял (image-making power of the mind) · sv fantasi (mental image) · ps مخيله (image-making power of the mind) · ro imaginare (construction of false images) · ru воображе́ние (construction of false images) · fa-ira تَخَیُّل (image-making power of the mind) · el φαντασίωση (mental image) · hu képzelet (image-making power of the mind) · be уяўле́нне (image-making power of the mind) · cs představivost (image-making power of the mind) · tg мухайяла (image-making power of the mind) · az təxəyyül (image-making power of the mind) · de Fantasie (image-making power of the mind) · sv inbillning (mental image) · be уяўле́ньне (mental image) · mk имагина́ција (image-making power of the mind) · tg тахайюл (image-making power of the mind) · id imajinasi (mental image) · az xəyal (image-making power of the mind) · be выабражэ́нне (image-making power of the mind) · bg въображе́ние (mental image) · km រូបាទ្យារម្មណ៍ (image-making power of the mind) · th จินตนาการ (image-making power of the mind) · tr imgelem (image-making power of the mind) · de Vorstellung (mental image) · de Vorstellungskraft (image-making power of the mind) · mk воо́бразба (image-making power of the mind) · gl imaxinación (image-making power of the mind) · gl maxín (image-making power of the mind) · nn hugleik (image-making power of the mind) · enm ymaginacioun (construction of false images) · ko 상상력 (image-making power of the mind) · tr hayal gücü (image-making power of the mind) · be уяўле́ньне (image-making power of the mind) · lt vaizduotė (image-making power of the mind) · tr hayal (image-making power of the mind) · mi pohewatanga (image-making power of the mind) · uk уя́влення (image-making power of the mind) · af verbeelding (image-making power of the mind) · my စိတ်ကူး (image-making power of the mind) · ur خَیال (image-making power of the mind) · ckb خەیاڵ (mental image) · sv fantasi (image-making power of the mind) · is ímyndun (mental image) · ca imaginació (image-making power of the mind) · es magín (image-making power of the mind) · tt хыял (image-making power of the mind) · ja 想像力 (image-making power of the mind) · ga íomháineacht (image-making power of the mind) · fa-ira تَصَوُّر (image-making power of the mind) · bg въображе́ние (image-making power of the mind) · hi तसव्वुर (image-making power of the mind) · tk hyýal (image-making power of the mind) · hu képzelet (mental image) · ru воображе́ние (mental image) · sk predstavivosť (image-making power of the mind) · ta கற்பனை (image-making power of the mind) · fa-ira مُخَیِّلِه (image-making power of the mind) · ka წარმოსახვა (image-making power of the mind) · be выабражэ́ньне (image-making power of the mind) · no innbilning (image-making power of the mind) · id imajinasi (image-making power of the mind) · uk уя́ва (mental image) · es imaginación (image-making power of the mind) · vi sự hình dung (image-making power of the mind) · ro fantezie (image-making power of the mind) · uz xayol (image-making power of the mind) · fa-ira خِیال (image-making power of the mind) · enm ymaginacioun (mental image) · tl imahinasyon (image-making power of the mind) · nl verbeelding (mental image) · grc ἐπίνοια (image-making power of the mind) · ps تخيل (image-making power of the mind) · no fantasi (image-making power of the mind) · sh ма̀шта (image-making power of the mind) · la opinio (image-making power of the mind) · mi pohewatanga (mental image) · pl wyobraźnia (image-making power of the mind) · ro imaginare (mental image) · nl verbeelding (image-making power of the mind) · be уяўле́нне (mental image) · pt imaginação (image-making power of the mind) · nl verbeelding (construction of false images) · sh imaginácija (image-making power of the mind) · ja 想像 (mental image) · ang gedwimor (image-making power of the mind) · mn төсөөлөл (image-making power of the mind) · ps تصور (image-making power of the mind) · ro închipuire (construction of false images) · yue 想像力 (image-making power of the mind) · hy մտապատկեր (mental image) · ps خيال (image-making power of the mind) · kk қиял (image-making power of the mind) · cmn 想像 (construction of false images) · ur تَخَیُّل (image-making power of the mind) · nl fantasie (image-making power of the mind) · es imaginación (mental image) · ky кыял (image-making power of the mind) · ceb handurawan (image-making power of the mind) · ast imaxinación (image-making power of the mind) · sq imagjinatë (image-making power of the mind) · ms imaginasi (image-making power of the mind) · id imajinasi (construction of false images) · mk воо́бразба (mental image) · ar تَخَيُّل (image-making power of the mind) · kmr xeyal (image-making power of the mind) · pl wyobrażenie (mental image) · ka ფანტაზია (image-making power of the mind) · be выабражэ́ньне (mental image) · mk воо́бразба (construction of false images) · sv inbillning (image-making power of the mind) · be выабражэ́нне (mental image) · el φαντασία (image-making power of the mind) · da forestillingsevne (image-making power of the mind) · da fantasi (image-making power of the mind) · is ímyndunarafl (image-making power of the mind) · ro închipuire (mental image) · ro imaginație (image-making power of the mind) · ko 상상 (construction of false images) · af verbeelding (mental image) · vi sự tưởng tượng (image-making power of the mind) · eo imago (image-making power of the mind) · gd mac-meanmna (construction of false images) · ar مُخَيَّلَة (image-making power of the mind) · fi mielikuvitus (creativity; resourcefulness — see also creativity) · uz taxayyul (image-making power of the mind) · tl haraya (image-making power of the mind) · ug خىيال (image-making power of the mind) · ar خَيَّال (image-making power of the mind) · pt imaginação (mental image) · da indbildning (image-making power of the mind) · hi कल्पना (image-making power of the mind) · gd mac-meanmna (image-making power of the mind) · ang mōdes hīwung (image-making power of the mind) · lv iztēle (image-making power of the mind) · it immaginazione (image-making power of the mind) · ja 空想 (mental image) · et ettekujutus (image-making power of the mind) · de Imagination (image-making power of the mind) · de Einbildung (mental image) · ja 想像 (construction of false images) · ast maxín (image-making power of the mind) · ur تَصَوُّر (image-making power of the mind) · de Einbildungskraft (image-making power of the mind) · grc φαντασία (image-making power of the mind) · ka წარმოდგენა (image-making power of the mind) · ro forță de imaginare (image-making power of the mind) · enm ymaginacioun (image-making power of the mind) · enm ymagynynge (image-making power of the mind) · tg хаёл (image-making power of the mind) · pdt Enbildunk (image-making power of the mind) · ja 空想 (construction of false images) · pt imaginação (construction of false images) · ar تَصَوُّر (image-making power of the mind) · lo ຈິນຕະນາການ (image-making power of the mind) · uk уя́влення (mental image) · ur مُخَیِّلَہ (image-making power of the mind) · ga íomháineacht (construction of false images) · fi mielikuvitus (image-making power of the mind) · ro iluzionare (construction of false images) · hy երեւակայություն (image-making power of the mind) · sl domišljija (image-making power of the mind) · uk уя́ва (image-making power of the mind) · bn কল্পনা (image-making power of the mind) · my စိတ်ကူးဉာဏ် (image-making power of the mind) · fi mielikuva (mental image) · enm ymaginacioun (creativity; resourcefulness — see also creativity) · ar صُورَة ذِهْنِيَّة (mental image) · sv inbillning (construction of false images) · fi kuvittelu (construction of false images) · tr muhayyile (image-making power of the mind) · sh màšta (image-making power of the mind) · pl fantazja (image-making power of the mind) · he דִּמְיוֹן (image-making power of the mind) · pl urojenie (construction of false images) · sw ubunifu (image-making power of the mind)