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Imaginative: Definition, Usage & Examples (2 meaning)

Meaning 1：highly creative (imaginative)

imaginative 🔊

/ɪˈmædʒɪnətɪv/

adj.

Describes a person who has a lot of new and original ideas, and can think of things that are not real or not yet existing.

Imaginative child building a fantastical castle from blocks, illustrating creativity.

highly creative 🔊

➕

/ˈhaɪli kriˈeɪtɪv/

adj.

Possessing a rich ability to generate novel ideas, envision possibilities beyond the present, and conceive of things that do not yet exist.

📁 Category：Technological Inventions 🔖 Level：初级

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Latin 'imaginari' (to picture to oneself). Root: imagine.

💡 Mnemonic

Link it to 'image' + 'native'. Think: a person who is a 'native' at creating vivid mental 'images'.

📖 Example

The young designer was so imaginative that she found a way to make beautiful furniture entirely out of recycled plastic bottles. 🔊 The young designer demonstrated high creativity by discovering a method to craft attractive furniture using only recycled plastic bottles.

🔗 Collocations

highly imaginative – possessing an exceptional degree of creativity

an imaginative child – a young person with a vivid and active imagination

an imaginative mind – a mentality characterized by creative thought

🔄 Synonyms

creative (adj.) – having the ability to produce original and unusual ideas

inventive (adj.) – skilled at thinking of new and original methods or ideas

visionary (adj.) – thinking about or planning the future with imagination or wisdom

🚫 Antonyms

unimaginative (adj.) – lacking creativity or the ability to think originally

literal (adj.) – taking words in their most basic sense without imagination

pragmatic (adj.) – dealing with things sensibly and realistically, often prioritizing practicality over creativity

🌱 Derivatives

imagination (n.) – the faculty or action of forming new ideas, or images not present to the senses

imagine (v.) – to form a mental image or concept of something not present or real

📖 Cultural Story

Derived from Latin 'imaginari' via Old French. Originally tied to forming mental images, evolving to describe creative thought beyond the literal.

Meaning 2：rich in creative ideas (imaginative)

imaginative 🔊

/ɪˈmædʒɪnətɪv/

adj.

Describes something like a story, design, or solution that is full of interesting and original ideas, not boring or ordinary.

Imaginative cake design shaped like a miniature landscape, showing rich ideas.

rich in creative ideas 🔊

➕

/rɪtʃ ɪn kriˈeɪtɪv aɪˈdiːəz/

adj.

Characterized by an abundance of interesting, novel, and original concepts, making it far from ordinary or dull.

📁 Category：Culture & History 🔖 Level：中级

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Example

The children's book was filled with imaginative illustrations of animals wearing clothes and driving tiny cars. 🔊 The children's book contained numerous illustrations rich in creative ideas, depicting animals dressed in clothing and operating miniature vehicles.

🔗 Collocations

imaginative solution – a clever and original answer to a problem

imaginative story – a tale filled with creative and fanciful elements

imaginative design – a plan or concept marked by originality and inventive thought

🔄 Synonyms

innovative (adj.) – featuring new methods or advanced ideas

original (adj.) – created directly and personally by a particular artist or thinker; not a copy

whimsical (adj.) – playfully quaint or fanciful, especially in an appealing and amusing way

🚫 Antonyms

conventional (adj.) – based on or in accordance with what is generally done or believed; not original

mundane (adj.) – lacking interest or excitement; dull

uninspired (adj.) – lacking in imagination or originality