imaginary number
nounDefinition of imaginary number
: a complex number (such as 2 + 3i) in which the coefficient of the imaginary unit is not zero
— called also imaginary
— compare pure imaginaryExamples of imaginary number in a Sentence
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The symmetries of these matrices usually guarantee that imaginary numbers cancel out and the eigenvalues are real, so that these matrices make sense as descriptions of physical systems. — Quanta Magazine, "Physicists Attack Math’s $1,000,000 Question," 4 Apr. 2017 If imaginary numbers have always seemed strange to you, prepare for a change in perspective. — Quanta Magazine, "How to Find Simple Treasures in Complex Numbers," 14 Feb. 2019 For example, the solutions to x5 = 1 are five points on a circle when plotted onto a graph comprised of real numbers along one axis and imaginary numbers on the other. — Davide Castelvecchi, Scientific American, "“Grand Unified Theory of Math” Nets Abel Prize," 20 Mar. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'imaginary number.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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