IMAGINARY: Synonyms and Related Words. What is Another Word for IMAGINARY?

Need another word that means the same as “imaginary”? Find 14 synonyms and 30 related words for “imaginary” in this overview.

The synonyms of “Imaginary” are: fanciful, notional, unreal, fictional, fictitious, pretend, make-believe, mythical, mythological, legendary, fantastic, complex number, complex quantity, imaginary number

Imaginary as a Noun

Definitions of "Imaginary" as a noun

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “imaginary” as a noun can have the following definitions:

• A number of the form a+bi where a and b are real numbers and i is the square root of -1.
• (mathematics) a number of the form a+bi where a and b are real numbers and i is the square root of -1.

Synonyms of "Imaginary" as a noun (3 Words)

complex number	A conceptual whole made up of complicated and related parts.
complex quantity	A compound described in terms of the central atom to which other atoms are bound or coordinated.
imaginary number	A number of the form a+bi where a and b are real numbers and i is the square root of -1.

Imaginary as an Adjective

Definitions of "Imaginary" as an adjective

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “imaginary” as an adjective can have the following definitions:

• (of a number or quantity) expressed in terms of the square root of a negative number (usually the square root of −1, represented by i or j).
• Existing only in the imagination.
• Not based on fact; existing only in the imagination.
• Not based on fact; unreal- F.D.Roosevelt.

Synonyms of "Imaginary" as an adjective (11 Words)

fanciful	Having a curiously intricate quality. A fanciful mind.
fantastic	Extravagantly fanciful in design, construction, appearance. Fantastic hybrid creatures.
fictional	Related to or involving literary fiction. A fictional character.
fictitious	Adopted in order to deceive. Reports of a deal were dismissed as fictitious by the Minister.
legendary	Celebrated in fable or legend. Her wisdom in matters of childbirth was legendary.
make-believe	Imagined as in a play.
mythical	Based on or told of in traditional stories; lacking factual basis or historical validity. One of Denmark s greatest mythical heroes.
mythological	Relating to, based on, or appearing in myths or mythology. The tree of life is one of the oldest of all mythological symbols.
notional	Denoting or relating to an approach to grammar which is dependent on the definition of terminology (e.g. ‘a verb is a doing word’) as opposed to identification of structures and processes. Notional budgets for hospital and community health services.
pretend	Not really what it is represented as being; imaginary. The children poured out pretend tea for the dolls.
unreal	Lacking material form or substance unreal. The unreal world of advertising art.

Usage Examples of "Imaginary" as an adjective

• Chris had imaginary conversations with her.
• A small child's imaginary friends.

Associations of "Imaginary" (30 Words)

assumed	Adopted as a basis of reasoning; expected. The assumed result of the election.
chimerical	Produced by a wildly fanciful imagination. His Utopia is not a chimerical commonwealth but a practical improvement on what already exists.
daydream	Indulge in a daydream. Stop daydreaming and pay attention.
delusion	The act of deluding; deception by creating illusory ideas. What a capacity television has for delusion.
dreamer	Someone guided more by ideals than by practical considerations. A rebellious young dreamer.
dreaming	Imaginative thoughts indulged in while awake.
dreamland	Sleep regarded as a world of dreams. A digital dreamland where you ll pay bills with a click of the mouse.
dreamy	Dreamy in mood or nature. A slow dreamy melody.
envisage	Form a mental image of something that is not present or that is not the case. The Rome Treaty envisaged free movement across frontiers.
escapism	An inclination to retreat from unpleasant realities through diversion or fantasy. Virtual reality offers a form of escapism.
fancied	Formed or conceived by the imagination. A fancied wrong.
fanciful	Indulging in or influenced by fancy. A fanciful Art Nouveau bar.
fantasy	A genre of imaginative fiction involving magic and adventure, especially in a setting other than the real world. It is ludicrous to fantasy disinventing the hydrogen bomb.
fiction	A deliberately false or improbable account. They were supposed to be keeping up the fiction that they were happily married.
fictitious	Formed or conceived by the imagination. Reports of a deal were dismissed as fictitious by the Minister.
figment	A thing that someone believes to be real but that exists only in their imagination. A figment of the imagination.
hypnosis	A hypnotic state. I was regressed under hypnosis.
idealist	A person who believes in the theory of idealism. He came to power with the reputation of a left wing idealist.
idealistic	Of high moral or intellectual value; elevated in nature or style- Oliver Franks. Idealistic young doctors who went to work for the rebels.
illusive	Based on or having the nature of an illusion. An illusive haven.
illusory	Based on or having the nature of an illusion. Secret activities offer presidents the alluring but often illusory promise that they can achieve foreign policy goals without the bothersome debate and open decision that are staples of democracy.
imagine	Believe (something unreal or untrue) to exist or be so. I imagine she earned a lot of money with her new novel.
improbable	Too improbable to admit of belief. This account of events was seen by the jury as most improbable.
psyche	That which is responsible for one’s thoughts, feelings, and conscious brain functions; the seat of the faculty of reason. Their childhood made them want to understand the human psyche and to help others.
reverie	An instrumental piece suggesting a dreamy or musing state. A knock on the door broke her reverie.
surreal	Having the qualities of surrealism bizarre. A surreal mix of fact and fantasy.
tale	A number or total. She enjoyed hearing others tell their tales.
transient	Lasting only for a short time; impermanent. Transient laborers.
visionary	A person given to fanciful speculations and enthusiasms with little regard for what is actually possible. Visionary dreams.
visualize	Make (something) visible to the eye. With this machine ultrasound can be visualized.