Quick answer: Imaginary means existing only in the mind or imagination — not real and not necessarily part of any story: Children sometimes have imaginary friends. Fictional means belonging to or created for fiction — a story, novel, film, or other narrative: Sherlock Holmes is a fictional character. Remember: IMAGINARY = not real (exists only in the mind); FICTIONAL = belongs to a story or narrative. For a fuller definition, see the Cambridge Dictionary entry for ‘imaginary’.
Comparison Table
| Word | Part of Speech | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| imaginary | adjective | existing only in the imagination; not real; not part of the physical world | The child invented an imaginary dragon. |
| fictional | adjective | relating to or found in fiction; created for or appearing in a story, film, or novel | Harry Potter is a fictional wizard. |
Using Imaginary
Imaginary describes anything that exists only in the mind or imagination and has no real-world existence. It does not require a story or author — it simply is not real. Children’s imaginary friends, fears that turn out to be unfounded, and invented scenarios are all imaginary.
The child had an imaginary friend named Toby.
Her fear of ghosts was entirely imaginary.
He created an imaginary world in his daydreams.
The threat turned out to be imaginary, not real.
In mathematics, an imaginary number is a number involving the square root of a negative number (e.g., the imaginary unit i). This is a technical meaning that does not apply to fictional.
Using Fictional
Fictional describes characters, places, events, or things that exist in a story, novel, film, or other work of fiction. They are created by an author and exist within a narrative. A fictional character can be very vivid and detailed — they exist as fiction, not merely as a vague mental image.
Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Arthur Conan Doyle.
Hogwarts is a fictional school in the Harry Potter series.
The novel is set in a fictional version of Victorian London.
The film is based on fictional events.
The Key Distinction
The critical difference is source and context:
- Imaginary: not real; exists only in someone’s mind or imagination. No author, no story needed.
- Fictional: not real; exists in a story or work of fiction. There is always an author or creative source.
A child’s imaginary friend → made up privately in the child’s mind.
A fictional friend in a novel → created by an author and existing within a story.
Note: a fictional character can also be imaginary (since they’re not real), but not all imaginary things are fictional (they may have no story behind them).
Memory Tip
IMAGINARY → think imagination: something that only exists in your head.
FICTIONAL → think fiction: something that exists in a book, film, or story.
Common Mistakes
✗ Hamlet is an imaginary prince.
✓ Hamlet is a fictional prince.
✗ She had a fictional friend she talked to as a child.
✓ She had an imaginary friend she talked to as a child.
Fictitious means false or invented, often with a negative implication (e.g., a fictitious name on a document). Fictional is neutral and simply means belonging to fiction. Avoid using fictitious when you mean fictional (a story character), as fictitious implies deliberate deception.
Also confusing: Identical vs Same, Inquire vs Investigate, Accept vs Except. Browse all confusing word pairs →
Quick Check: Imaginary or Fictional?
Four questions — choose the correct word for each sentence.
1. “Sherlock Holmes is a ___ detective.”
2. “The child played with an ___ dragon all afternoon.”
3. “The novel is set in a ___ country called Ruritania.”
4. “Her fear of monsters under the bed was entirely ___.”
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between imaginary and fictional?
Imaginary means existing only in the mind or imagination, with no real-world existence and no need for a story: “an imaginary friend.” Fictional means belonging to or created for a work of fiction (a novel, film, or story): “a fictional character.” All fictional things are in a sense imaginary (not real), but not all imaginary things are fictional (they may have no author or story).
Is Sherlock Holmes imaginary or fictional?
Sherlock Holmes is fictional — he is a character created by Arthur Conan Doyle and exists within a series of stories. While you could loosely say he is “imaginary” (not real), the precise and standard English term for a story character is fictional. Using imaginary for literary characters sounds informal or imprecise.
What is an imaginary number in mathematics?
An imaginary number is a number that involves the square root of a negative number. The basic imaginary unit is i, where i² = −1. Imaginary numbers are a real part of mathematics; the term “imaginary” is historical and somewhat misleading. Fictional is not used in mathematics at all.
What is the difference between fictional and fictitious?
Fictional means belonging to fiction — a story, novel, or film: “a fictional character.” Fictitious means invented or false, often implying deliberate deception: “He gave a fictitious name to the police.” A fictional character is simply a story creation; using fictitious for this sounds as if the character is a lie or a fraud. Use fictional for literary characters and fictitious for false information.
Can imaginary describe characters in books?
Technically yes — any story character is not real. However, native speakers strongly prefer fictional for literary and cinematic characters: “a fictional hero,” not “an imaginary hero.” Imaginary is reserved for things privately invented (a child’s imaginary friend) or unfounded (imaginary fears). Using imaginary for a novel character sounds unusual to most readers.
What is the noun form of imaginary?
The noun form is imagination: “She has a vivid imagination.” The noun imaginary (used rarely, mostly in psychology and mathematics) refers to imaginative or abstract things. More commonly, the abstract concept is referred to as “the realm of the imaginary.”
What is the noun form of fictional?
The noun form is fiction: “She writes science fiction.” The adjective fictionalise (or fictionalize in American English) means to turn real events into fiction: “The film fictionalises real events.” Related nouns: fictionalisation, fiction, fictionality.
What is “non-fiction” vs “fiction”?
Fiction refers to literature that describes imagined events and people — novels, short stories, and similar works. Non-fiction refers to writing based on real facts and events — biographies, journalism, and academic texts. The related adjectives are fictional (belonging to fiction) and factual (based on facts). Non-imaginary does not have a standard adjective form in this literary sense.
How are imaginary and fictional used in academic writing?
In literary studies and media studies, fictional is the standard adjective for characters, places, and events in stories: “fictional protagonists,” “fictional worlds.” Imaginary appears in psychology (“imaginary companions”) and philosophy (“the imaginary vs the real”). Using fictional correctly in literary analysis signals academic precision.
Are imaginary and fictional used in IELTS?
Both can appear in IELTS reading texts, especially in topics about literature, media, and psychology. Using fictional correctly when discussing stories and characters, and imaginary for privately invented or non-real things, demonstrates precise vocabulary use at B2–C1 level. Confusing the two words rarely causes serious errors but may reduce your lexical resource score.