Word: Imaginary

Pronunciation

/ɪˈmædʒɪnəri/

Definitions

• Adjective: Existing only in the mind; not real or actual; created by the imagination. For example: “The child had an imaginary friend who accompanied her everywhere.”

  Mathematical Definition: In mathematics, imaginary refers to a number that is part of the imaginary numbers set, which includes all numbers that can be written as a real number multiplied by the imaginary unit ‘i’, where i² = -1. For example: “In complex numbers, the square root of -1 is an imaginary number.”

• Noun: (plural imaginaries) A quantity that is represented by an imaginary number. Example: “In electrical engineering, the impedance may have both real and imaginary components.”

Phrases

• “Imaginary friend”: A personification created by a child’s imagination that they interact with as if it were real.
• “Imaginary line”: A line that exists only in theory or mental conception rather than in reality.
• “Imaginary part”: In mathematics, this refers to the non-real component of a complex number.

Example Sentences

• Adjective: “His fears about monsters under the bed stemmed from his overactive imagination, making them purely imaginary threats.”
• Noun (Mathematics): “When solving for the roots of a quadratic equation, one might find both real and imaginary roots.”

Synonyms

• Fictitious
• Notional
• Unreal
• Imagined
• Conceptual
• Visionary (in the sense of being not based on reality)
• Hypothetical (in certain contexts)
• Figurative (in some cases referring to abstract concepts)

For mathematical usage:

• Non-real
• Complex (referring to an imaginary part of a complex number)