English · Word Candidate

imaginary

/ɪˈmæd͡ʒɪnəɹi/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: imaginaries

Sense 1

Meaning · English

Existing only in the imagination.

Adjective

Examples

imaginary friend

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Meaning · English

Having no real part; that part of a complex number which is a multiple of √ (called imaginary unit).

Adjective

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Meaning · English

Imagination; fancy.

Noun

Examples

By then too Mozart's opera, from Da Ponte's libretto, had made Figaro a stock character in the European imaginary and set the whole Continent whistling Mozartian airs and chuckling at Figaresque humour.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 4

Meaning · English

An imaginary number.

Noun

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “imaginary” mean?

Existing only in the imagination.

Is “imaginary” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.