imaginary
Syllabification: (im·ag·i·nar·y)
Pronunciation: /iˈmajəˌnerē/
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Definition of imaginary
adjective
- 2 Mathematics (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). See also complex.
Derivatives
Pronunciation: /iˌmajəˈne(ə)rəlē/
adverb
Origin:
late Middle English: from Latin imaginarius, from imago, imagin- 'image'
Imaginary means ‘product of the imagination, unreal.’ Imaginative means ‘showing imagination, original.’ Science fiction, for example, deals with imaginary people, places, and events; how imaginative it is depends on the writer’s ability.