Imaginary Common

Origin: Latin suffix -ary

Imaginary has 4 different meanings across 2 categories:

Noun · Adjective

Definitions

Noun

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

"The complex solution to the quadratic equation involved an imaginary component."

complex number complex quantity imaginary number imaginary

Imagination; fancy.

"The old tale was nothing more than a collection of imaginary stories told by firelight."

Adjective

not based on fact; existing only in the imagination

"the falsehood about some fanciful secret treaties"

"a small child's imaginary friends"

"to create a notional world for oneself"

fanciful imaginary notional

Existing only in the imagination.

"The imaginary friend he played with all afternoon was never real, existing only in his mind."

In plain English: Imaginary means something that exists only in your mind and is not real.

"The child played happily with his imaginary friend all afternoon."

Example Sentences

"The child played happily with his imaginary friend all afternoon." adj

"The child built an elaborate castle from blocks in his imaginary world." adj

"She solved the problem by pretending her rival was an imaginary enemy." adj

"There are no imaginary threats here; we must face real dangers." adj

Origin

The word imaginary comes from Latin imāginārius, meaning "relating to images" or "fancied." Its specific mathematical sense originated with René Descartes in 1637 when he used it derogatorily to describe non-real roots of polynomials.

Rhyming Words

ary bary vary mary dary gary cary wary nary fary viary neary weary spary ovary snary teary hoary leary beary

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