Figment
/ˈfɪɡ.mənt/noun
A thing that someone believes to be real but that exists only in their imagination.
Did you know?The term 'figment' derives from a Latin root meaning 'to shape or fashion', hinting at how our thoughts can create entire worlds.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
figmentum
“a shaping or fashioning, something created in the mind.”
Late Middle English
Middle English
figment
“a product of the imagination, an invention.”
15th Century
English
figment
“a fabricated idea or concept, often used to denote something not real.”
Modern English
English
figment
“an idea or object that exists only in the imagination.”