Vocabulary B2 6 min read Updated 15 June 2026

Quick Answer

Imaginary describes something that is not real and exists only in the imagination (an imaginary friend, an imaginary number, an imaginary line). Imaginative describes a person, idea, or thing that shows creativity and a strong imagination (an imaginative child, an imaginative solution). A related word, imaginable, means able to be imagined (the best meal imaginable). All three come from the verb imagine.

Imaginary and imaginative look almost identical and share the same root, the verb imagine, but they mean very different things. Imaginary is about whether something exists in reality — and it does not. Imaginative is about whether something shows creativity — and it does. Mixing them up can change your meaning completely, so the difference is well worth learning at B2 level.

At a Glance: Imaginary vs Imaginative

WordMeaningPronunciationCommon Use
imaginary existing only in the imagination; not real /ɪˈmædʒɪnəri/ an imaginary friend, an imaginary number, an imaginary line
imaginative having or showing creativity and a good imagination /ɪˈmædʒɪnətɪv/ an imaginative child, an imaginative solution, imaginative writing

Using “Imaginary”

Imaginary describes something that does not exist in the real world — it lives only in your mind, in a story, or as a useful idea. It is the opposite of real or actual. You use it for invented characters, made-up fears, and abstract concepts that we picture but cannot touch.

Definition

Existing only in the imagination; created in the mind and not present in reality. Imaginary answers the question “Is it real?” with a firm no. It is neutral — it does not praise or criticise; it simply states that the thing is not real.

When to use it

  • Describing invented people or creatures: an imaginary friend, an imaginary monster
  • In maths and science: an imaginary number, an imaginary line, the imaginary axis
  • For fears or problems that are not real: an imaginary illness, imaginary dangers
  • For places that do not exist: an imaginary country, an imaginary world
  • Whenever you contrast something with what is real or actual

Her four-year-old has an imaginary friend called Bella.

The equator is an imaginary line around the middle of the Earth.

In maths, the square root of minus one is an imaginary number.

His fears were entirely imaginary — nothing bad ever happened.

The novel is set in an imaginary kingdom with two suns.

Key Pattern

imaginary + noun (a thing that is not real): an imaginary friend, an imaginary line
be + imaginary: His illness was imaginary. / The danger was purely imaginary.
Opposites: real, actual, genuine

Using “Imaginative”

Imaginative describes someone or something that is full of new, creative ideas. It is a word of praise: an imaginative person sees possibilities that others miss, and an imaginative idea is original and inventive. It tells you about quality and creativity, not about whether something is real.

Definition

Having or showing creativity and a good imagination; able to think of new and interesting ideas. Imaginative answers the question “Is it creative?” with yes. It is almost always positive and is used to admire people, writing, designs, and solutions.

When to use it

  • Praising creative people: an imaginative child, an imaginative teacher
  • Describing original ideas and solutions: an imaginative approach, an imaginative plan
  • For creative work: imaginative writing, imaginative cooking, imaginative design
  • In reviews and feedback: a highly imaginative performance
  • Whenever you want to say something shows fresh, original thinking

She is a wonderfully imaginative child who invents her own games.

The team came up with an imaginative solution to a difficult problem.

The chef is famous for his imaginative use of local ingredients.

It was the most imaginative birthday party I had ever been to.

Her essay was clear, but it was not very imaginative.

Key Pattern

imaginative + noun (creative person/thing): an imaginative writer, an imaginative idea
be + imaginative: He is very imaginative. / The design is bold and imaginative.
Synonyms: creative, inventive, original, resourceful

Real vs Creative: The Key Difference

The single most useful test is to ask which question the word answers. Imaginary answers “Is it real?” — and the answer is no, it exists only in the mind. Imaginative answers “Is it creative?” — and the answer is yes, it shows a rich imagination.

About reality (not real):

The dragon in the story is imaginary; dragons do not exist.

About creativity (full of ideas):

The author is imaginative; she invents wonderful new worlds.

Notice that the two words can even describe the same situation from different angles: a child’s imaginary friend is not real, but a child who invents one is being imaginative. The friend is imaginary; the child is imaginative.

Common Mistakes

She is a very imaginary child who loves making up stories.

She is a very imaginative child who loves making up stories. (the child is creative, not unreal)

The equator is an imaginative line around the Earth.

The equator is an imaginary line around the Earth. (it is not real, not creative)

The team found an imaginary solution to the problem.

The team found an imaginative solution to the problem. (a creative, original solution)

It was the best holiday imaginative.

It was the best holiday imaginable. (= that you could possibly imagine)

Special Expressions and the Word “Imaginable”

A third adjective from imagine often joins this family: imaginable, meaning “able to be imagined” or “that you could possibly think of.” It usually comes after the noun, often with a superlative or with every:

  • the best X imaginable — the best meal imaginable, the worst day imaginable
  • every X imaginable — they sell every colour imaginable
  • no X imaginable — there was no reason imaginable for the delay

Some fixed expressions also use imaginary and imaginative:

  • imaginary friend — an invented companion, common in childhood
  • imaginary number / imaginary line / imaginary axis — technical terms in maths and geography
  • imaginative play — creative, pretend play in young children: imaginative play develops the mind
  • imaginative writing — creative writing such as stories and poems
Memory Tip

Link the ending -ary in imaginary with the word unreal: imaginary things are not real. Then link the ending -ative in imaginative with creative: both end in -ative and both mean full of ideas. So: imaginary = unreal; imaginative = creative. And remember imaginable means simply “able to be imagined,” just as readable means “able to be read.”

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between imaginary and imaginative?
Imaginary means existing only in the imagination and not in reality: an imaginary friend, an imaginary line, an imaginary number. Imaginative means creative and full of good, original ideas: an imaginative child, an imaginative solution. The simplest test is to ask which question the word answers. Imaginary answers "Is it real?" with no. Imaginative answers "Is it creative?" with yes. They share the root verb imagine but describe completely different things.
What is an imaginary friend?
An imaginary friend is an invented companion that exists only in someone's mind, most often a young child's. The friend is not real, so we use imaginary, the word for things that are not real. Many children create an imaginary friend during pretend play and may give it a name, a voice, and a personality. Note the difference: the friend itself is imaginary, but a child who invents such a friend is being imaginative, because inventing it shows creativity.
Why do we say an imaginative child, not an imaginary child?
We say an imaginative child because the child is creative and full of ideas, and imaginative is the word for creativity. An imaginary child would mean a child who does not exist in reality, which is almost never what we mean. So if you are praising a young person's creativity, say imaginative: she is a bright, imaginative child. Save imaginary for things that are genuinely not real, such as an imaginary world the child invents.
What does imaginable mean?
Imaginable means "able to be imagined" or "that you could possibly think of." It is a third adjective from the verb imagine, formed with the ending -able, just like readable or comfortable. It usually comes after the noun and often appears with a superlative or with every: the best meal imaginable, every colour imaginable, no reason imaginable. Be careful not to confuse it with imaginative (creative) or imaginary (not real); imaginable is about what is possible to imagine.
What is an imaginary number or an imaginary line?
Both are technical uses of imaginary, the word for things that exist only as ideas rather than as physical objects. In mathematics, an imaginary number is a number based on the square root of minus one; it is a useful concept but does not measure a real, countable quantity. In geography, an imaginary line such as the equator or a line of longitude is drawn on maps but does not physically exist on the ground. In both cases, imaginary signals "not physically real, but a useful idea."
Can a person be imaginary or imaginative?
A person can be either, but the meanings are very different. A person is imaginative when they are creative and good at thinking up new ideas: an imaginative writer, an imaginative engineer. A person could be described as imaginary only if they do not actually exist, such as a made-up character or an imaginary friend. So a real, creative person is imaginative, while an invented, non-existent person is imaginary. You would almost never call a real person you are praising imaginary.
What is the difference between the endings -ary and -ative here?
The ending -ary in imaginary links it to the idea of something that belongs to the imagination only, so it is not real. The ending -ative in imaginative is the same ending you see in creative, inventive, and innovative, all words about producing new ideas, so imaginative means full of creativity. A handy memory aid is that -ative matches creative: both end the same way and both describe creativity. Meanwhile -ary in imaginary can remind you of unreal.
Can you give example sentences with imaginary and imaginative?
Yes. For imaginary (not real): "The story takes place in an imaginary city"; "Her worries turned out to be imaginary"; "The equator is an imaginary line." For imaginative (creative): "He is an imaginative cook who invents new dishes"; "The advert used an imaginative idea"; "Her essay was clear but not very imaginative." You can even use both together: "The imaginative author created a whole imaginary world." Here the author is creative and the world is not real.
Is there a memory trick for imaginary vs imaginative?
Yes. Match imaginative with creative: both end in -ative and both mean full of ideas, so imaginative = creative. For imaginary, focus on the ending -ary and connect it with the idea of unreal: imaginary things are not real. So imaginary = unreal and imaginative = creative. If you also need imaginable, remember it ends in -able like readable, so it means "able to be imagined." Three endings, three clear meanings.
How do you pronounce imaginary and imaginative?
Both words start the same way and stress the second syllable, on "ma." Imaginary is /ɪˈmædʒɪnəri/, with four or five syllables depending on the speaker: i-MA-gin-a-ry. Imaginative is /ɪˈmædʒɪnətɪv/: i-MA-gin-a-tiv, ending in a "tiv" sound. The clearest difference is at the end: imaginary finishes with an "-ry" sound, while imaginative finishes with a "-tive" sound. Listening for that final syllable is the easiest way to tell them apart in speech.

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