imagined

USAGE SUMMARY

The word "imagined" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to describe something that you thought or believed to be true but which may not actually reflect reality. Example sentence: I had always imagined that I would live in a big city, but I ended up living in a small town.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Opinion

Books

Lifestyle

Sport

Film

Tech

Business

Education

Arts

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

The paradox is that mathematical physics has imagined it, and confirmed the accuracy of that imagination to within the first second of time.

The Guardian - Opinion

Man Booker prize-winning author Hilary Mantel delivered a spirited attack on her critics after the BBC was condemned over plans to broadcast her "mischievous" short story on the imagined assassination of Margaret Thatcher.

The Guardian - Books

Some imagined Mugabe running away from the security forces; others made jokes about the panic among his staff as he fell over.

The Guardian

It is not a long contract, just six weeks, and I imagined I, too, might be able to serve out my time in office before anyone noticed my shortcomings, and my failure to harbour any cohesive hermetic vision.

The Guardian - Opinion

From: To: Re: Dear Prime Minister, Nine years ago, as I watched you arrive at the South Bank on the night when you became Prime Minister, I would never have imagined that I'd come to view you as a serious threat to British democracy.

The Guardian - Opinion

I always imagined that I would have met someone by now and that we would make the decision together, but I know now that this is unlikely.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

The Man Booker prize may be one of the last shadows of that empire, evoking as it does an imagined community unchanged since 1921, when Irish independence began its demise.

The Guardian - Opinion

Our technology and law are still primordial entities, the actual future will likely be more remarkable than any of our imagined futures.

The Guardian

They did not, as I'd previously imagined, have the power to undo me.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

A greater contrast with the hangars of Mipim can hardly be imagined: no lavish buffet, just a kettle and some instant coffee; no PowerPoint slides but a dungareed bloke scribbling on a flipchart.

The Guardian - Opinion

Women in universities are realising that the battle is way bigger than we ever imagined.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "imagined" to convey a sense of something conceived or envisioned in the mind, particularly when it may not align with reality. For example, "The imagined future was far different from the present reality."

Common error

Avoid using "imagined" when you mean something actually happened or exists. "Imagined" implies a creation of the mind, not a confirmed fact.

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "imagined" is as a past participle of the verb 'imagine' or as an adjective. It modifies nouns to describe something conceived or envisioned mentally. Ludwig provides numerous examples of both usages.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

35%

Opinion

15%

Books

10%

Less common in

Lifestyle

8%

Sport

7%

Film

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The word "imagined" functions as a versatile term, serving both as a past participle and an adjective to denote something conceived or envisioned in the mind. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, its grammatical status is correct, and it enjoys very common usage across diverse contexts. The analysis of usage patterns reveals its frequent presence in news and media, opinion pieces, and books. Related phrases like "envisioned", "pictured", and "conceived of" offer nuanced alternatives. When using "imagined", it's best practice to convey a mental construct, while avoiding confusion with reality. The term's widespread use in authoritative sources like The Guardian and The New York Times underscores its reliability and acceptance in written English.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

envisioned

Implies a more detailed and vivid mental picture than "imagined".

visualized

Similar to 'envisioned' but places a greater emphasis on the visual aspect of the mental image.

conceived of

Focuses on the initial formation of an idea, whereas "imagined" can also refer to elaborating on an existing one.

pictured

Suggests a more visual representation in the mind compared to "imagined", which can be broader.

dreamed up

Implies a creative or inventive imagining, often used for plans or solutions, differing from the neutral "imagined".

fantasized

Indicates a more elaborate and unrealistic imagining compared to a simple "imagined" scenario.

presumed

Indicates an assumption based on limited evidence, unlike "imagined" which can be purely speculative.

assumed

Similar to 'presumed', but the assumption isn't always directly imagined, differing from "imagined".

believed

Indicates an acceptance of something as true, whereas "imagined" does not necessarily imply belief.

hypothesized

Implies a formal, testable idea in a scientific context, differing in formality from "imagined".

FAQs

How can I use "imagined" in a sentence?

Use "imagined" to describe something that was conceived in the mind, whether it's a past thought or a hypothetical scenario. For instance, "I imagined what it would be like to live on Mars".

What words are similar to "imagined"?

Alternatives include "envisioned", "pictured", or "conceived of", each carrying slightly different nuances of mental visualization or creation.

What's the difference between "imagined" and "remembered"?

"Imagined" refers to something created or envisioned in the mind, while "remembered" refers to recalling something from the past.

Is it correct to say 'the imagined community'?

Yes, "imagined community" is a valid concept, often used in social sciences to describe a community whose members' knowledge of one another does not come from face-to-face interaction but rather from shared narratives, as seen in Benedict Anderson's work.