imaginaire

imaginary

adjective ee-mah-zhee-NEHR Rare

Also means

fictitious

Usage Note

Imaginaire is invariable in gender (same form for masculine and feminine). As a noun, l'imaginaire means the realm of imagination or the collective imaginary of a culture. Psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan used l'imaginaire as a key theoretical concept distinct from le réel and le symbolique.

Examples

"Il a un ami imaginaire depuis l'enfance."

Natural Translation

He has had an imaginary friend since childhood.

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