Imaginary definition

ĭ-măjə-nĕrē

Words form:

Frequency:

Having existence only in the imagination; unreal.

adjective

An imaginary number.

noun

(mathematics) Of a number, having no real part; that part of a complex number which is a multiple of the square root of -1.

adjective

Existing only in the imagination; fanciful; unreal.

adjective

Involving only a complex number of which the real part is zero.

adjective

Imagination; fancy. [from 16th c.]

noun

(mathematics) An imaginary quantity. [from 18th c.]

noun

(math.) Designating or of the square root of a negative quantity, or of a complex number that is not real.

adjective

The definition of imaginary is not real or existing only in the mind, or a square root of a negative number.

An example of something imaginary is an invisible friend.

An example of something imaginary is the square root of negative 16.

adjective

Of or being the coefficient of the imaginary unit in a complex number.

adjective

Of, involving, or being an imaginary number.

adjective

adjective

Other Word Forms

Singular:

imaginary

Plural:

imaginaries

From Middle French imaginaire, from Latin imāginārius (“relating to images, fancied”), from imāgo.

From Wiktionary