Meaning & use
imaginary
Existing only in the mind or imagination rather than in reality.
See it in a sentence
The child invented an imaginary friend to talk to during long car rides.
Some ancient maps included imaginary islands that sailors could never find.
A note on using this word
In mathematics, imaginary has a technical sense referring to numbers involving the square root of negative one.
Words with a similar meaning
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
realactual
Another way to use it
2. adjective
In mathematics, describing a number that is a multiple of the square root of negative one.
The equation had no real solutions, only imaginary ones.
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