Link Centre Dictionary

imagination

ima·gi·na·tion

UK/ɪˌmæd͡ʒəˈneɪʃən/ US/ˌɪˌmædʒʌˈneɪʃʌn/ common

noun

1.

the formation of a mental image of something that is not perceived as real and is not present to the senses

  • “popular imagination created a world of demons”
  • “imagination reveals what the world could be”
Synonyms
2.

the ability to form mental images of things or events

  • “he could still hear her in his imagination”
Synonyms
3.

the ability to deal resourcefully with unusual problems

  • “a man of resource”
Synonyms

Origin

From Middle English ymaginacioun, from Old French imaginacion, ymaginacion, from Latin imāginātiō. Equivalent to imagine + -ation.

Phrases

  • by any stretch of the imagination
  • by no stretch of imagination
  • by no stretch of the imagination
  • figment of one's imagination
  • leave little to the imagination
  • leave nothing to the imagination
  • leave to the imagination
  • sociological imagination

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

Narrower terms

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.