imaginary.

1. Existing in imagination rather than as a real instance in the reality being described.

2. Involving a multiple of the square root of negative one in the complex-number system.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• imaginary place
• imaginary conversation

On the page

The imaginary place combined recognizable features without corresponding to one actual town.

An imaginary conversation allowed the narrator to explore a question he had never asked.

Usage notes

Primary category: literary / elevated general. Forms: Normally non-gradable for the stated reality distinction; degree comparison only where an explicitly figurative context permits it. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: narrative transformation, conception and possibility, memory representation, anticipatory detail. Disciplines: literary writing, advanced general English, narrative analysis. Commonness: moderately common.