as in fictitious
not real and existing only in the imagination
told by the psychologist that it was perfectly normal for their child to have an imaginary friend
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Recent Examples of imaginary
Whereas QAnon was rooted in the imaginary revelations of a shadowy figure who claimed Q security clearance, at least the Epstein story was rooted in some very grim, very real facts.
—
David French, Mercury News, 15 July 2025
The soundtrack shifts toward lighter indie rock and away from brain-numbing redundancies, while the story treats those imaginary genre sketches like an accidental off-ramp left in the rearview.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 10 July 2025
The Royal Observatory Greenwich is home to Greenwich Mean Time and the Prime Meridian, an imaginary line of longitude, designated as 0 degrees that runs from the North Pole to the South Pole.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025
Those booming, rattling arenas, and those riotous little halls, are imaginary spaces.
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 6 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for imaginary
David French, Mercury News, 15 July 2025
The soundtrack shifts toward lighter indie rock and away from brain-numbing redundancies, while the story treats those imaginary genre sketches like an accidental off-ramp left in the rearview.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 10 July 2025
The Royal Observatory Greenwich is home to Greenwich Mean Time and the Prime Meridian, an imaginary line of longitude, designated as 0 degrees that runs from the North Pole to the South Pole.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025
Those booming, rattling arenas, and those riotous little halls, are imaginary spaces.
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 6 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for imaginary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for imaginary
Adjective
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An adoption of a fictitious docudrama style, where scenarios are created for the show’s cast, brought in more subpar episodes which many feel didn’t help the cause.—
Kevin Dolak,
HollywoodReporter,
22 July 2025
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Unsurprisingly, then, scammers are also keen to exploit this by way of fictitious job opportunities through unofficial channels, websites, emails, and text messages.—
Davey Winder,
Forbes.com,
19 July 2025
Adjective
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The story centers around a die-hard musical theater fan who plays his favorite (fictional) 1920s musical on his record player, bringing the show to life within his apartment.—
Rebecca Rubin,
Variety,
14 July 2025
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The employees of Dunder Mifflin Paper Co.'s Scranton, Pennsylvania, office were filmed for nine seasons by a fictional documentary crew, a plot point that became extremely important in the series' final season.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
12 July 2025
Adjective
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Its mythical story left an indelible mark on my mind.—
Noel Burgess,
Forbes.com,
15 July 2025
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Opened in 2020, the museum features interactive exhibits dedicated to the mythical sea creature.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
13 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Imaginary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/imaginary. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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