Meaning & use
imaginative
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Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Good at thinking of new, original, and clever ideas.
Grammar: Can be used before a noun (an imaginative person) or after a linking verb (she is imaginative).
Patterns
- an imaginative person
- be imaginative
She is a highly imaginative child who loves to draw.
The team came up with an imaginative solution to the problem.
You need to be imaginative to succeed in this job.
adjectivecomparable
Produced by or showing creativity and original thinking.
Grammar: Typically used before a noun to describe works, ideas, or approaches.
Patterns
- an imaginative approach
- imaginative writing
The book is an imaginative retelling of a classic tale.
The architect designed an imaginative building that surprised everyone.
Word forms
| comparative | more imaginative |
|---|---|
| superlative | most imaginative |
Common combinations
- highly imaginative
- The highly imaginative design won several awards.
- imaginative approach
- We need a more imaginative approach to teaching science.
- imaginative use
- The artist made imaginative use of recycled materials.
- imaginative thinking
- Imaginative thinking can lead to breakthrough discoveries.
Synonyms and how they differ
- creative
- Often used for producing original things, especially in art; 'imaginative' emphasizes the mental process of forming new ideas.
- inventive
- Focuses on making new things or solving problems in new ways; 'imaginative' can be more about ideas than practical results.
- original
- Means new and different, not copied; 'imaginative' stresses the use of imagination rather than just novelty.
Opposites
Word family
- imagination noun
- The ability to form mental images or new ideas.
- imagine verb
- To form a picture or idea in your mind.
- imaginatively adverb
- In a creative or inventive way.
- imaginary adjective
- Existing only in the mind; not real.
Commonly confused: imaginative or imaginary? imaginative or imagined?
imaginative vs imaginary
'Imaginary' means not real, existing only in the mind; 'imaginative' means good at creating new ideas.
imaginative vs imagined
'Imagined' is the past tense of 'imagine' and refers to something that was pictured in the mind; 'imaginative' describes a quality of a person or thing.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'imaginative' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Imaginative' describes the creative quality of the picture. 'Imaginary' would mean the picture is not real, 'imagination' is a noun, and 'imagine' is a verb, so they don't fit before 'picture'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “imaginative”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.