Added 29 September 2026
imaginary
/ɪˈmæd͡ʒɪnəɹi/ adjective
In Latin: imaginarius, phantasticus Wiktionary
adjective Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about imaginary at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
noun
- Imagination; fancy. .mw-parser-output .defdate{font-size:smaller}
- An imaginary number.
- The set of values, institutions, laws, and symbols common to a particular social group and the corresponding society through which people imagine their social whole.
Origin
From Middle English ymaginarie, ymagynary, from Latin imāginārius (“relating to images, fancied”), from imāgō, equivalent to imagine + -ary. The mathematical sense derives from René Descartes's use (of the French imaginaire) in 1637, La Geometrie, to ridicule the notion of regarding non-real roots of polynomials as numbers. Although Descartes' usage was derogatory, the designation stuck even after the concept gained acceptance in the 18th century.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)