Imaginary
/ɪˈmædʒ.ɪ.nər.i/noun
Existing only in the mind; not real, or based on imagination.
Did you know?The word comes from the same Latin root as *image* and *imitate*, so at its core it’s about the mind’s power to form a likeness—not just fantasy, but mental creation.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*aim-
“to copy, imitate”
Latin
Latin
imāgō
“image, likeness, portrait”
Late Latin
Latin
imaginārius
“pertaining to images or mental representations”
Old French
Old French
imaginaire
“existing in the mind, unreal”
Middle English
English
imaginarie
“existing only in thought or imagination”
Modern English
English
imaginary
“existing only in the imagination; not real”
Explore more surprising origins