Word Meanings - IMAGINATION - Book Publishers vocabulary database

1. The imagine-making power of the mind; the power to create or reproduce ideally an object of sense previously perceived; the power to call up mental imagines. Our simple apprehension of corporeal objects, if present, is sense; if absent,

Additional info about word: IMAGINATION

1. The imagine-making power of the mind; the power to create or reproduce ideally an object of sense previously perceived; the power to call up mental imagines. Our simple apprehension of corporeal objects, if present, is sense; if absent, is imagination. Glanvill. Imagination is of three kinds: joined with belief of that which is to come; joined with memory of that which is past; and of things present, or as if they were present. Bacon. 2. The representative power; the power to reconstruct or recombine the materials furnished by direct apprehension; the complex faculty usually termed the plastic or creative power; the fancy. The imagination of common language -- the productive imagination of philosophers -- is nothing but the representative process plus the process to which I would give the name of the "comparative." Sir W. Hamilton. The power of the mind to decompose its conceptions, and to recombine the elements of them at its pleasure, is called its faculty of imagination. I. Taylor. The business of conception is to present us with an exact transcript of what we have felt or perceived. But we have moreover a power of modifying our conceptions, by combining the parts of different ones together, so as to form new wholes of our creation. I shall employ the word imagination to express this power. Stewart. 3. The power to recombine the materials furnished by experience or memory, for the accomplishment of an elevated purpose; the power of conceiving and expressing the ideal. The lunatic, the lover, and the poet Are of imagination all compact . . . The poet's eye, in a fine frenzy rolling, Doth glance from heaven to earth, from earth to heaven, And as imagination bodies forth The forms of things unknown, the poet's pen Turns them to shapes, and gives to airy nothing A local habitation and a name. Shak. 4. A mental image formed by the action of the imagination as a faculty; a conception; a notion. Shak. Syn. -- Conception; idea; conceit; fancy; device; origination; invention; scheme; design; purpose; contrivance. -- Imagination, Fancy. These words have, to a great extent, been interchanged by our best writers, and considered as strictly synonymous. A distinction, however, is now made between them which more fully exhibits their nature. Properly speaking, they are different exercises of the same general power -- the plastic or creative faculty. Imagination consists in taking parts of our conceptions and combining them into new forms and images more select, more striking, more delightful, more terrible, etc., than those of ordinary nature. It is the higher exercise of the two. It creates by laws more closely connected with the reason; it has strong emotion as its actuating and formative cause; it aims at results of a definite and weighty character. Milton's fiery lake, the debates of his Pandemonium, the exquisite scenes of his Paradise, are all products of the imagination. Fancy moves on a lighter wing; it is governed by laws of association which are more remote, and sometimes arbitrary or capricious. Hence the term fanciful, which exhibits fancy in its wilder flights. It has for its actuating spirit feelings of a lively, gay, and versatile character; it seeks to please by unexpected combinations of thought, startling contrasts, flashes of brilliant imagery, etc. Pope's Rape of the Lock is an exhibition of fancy which has scarcely its equal in the literature of any country. -- "This, for instance, Wordworth did in respect of the words `imagination' and `fancy.' Before he wrote, it was, I suppose, obscurely felt by most that in `imagination' there was more of the earnest, in `fancy' of the play of the spirit; that the first was a loftier faculty and gift than the second; yet for all this words were continually, and not without loss, confounded. He first, in the preface to his Lyrical Ballads, rendered it henceforth impossible that any one, who had read and mastered what he has written on the two words, should remain unconscious any longer of the important difference between them." Trench. The same power, which we should call fancy if employed on a production of a light nature, would be dignified with the title of imagination if shown on a grander scale. C. J. Smith.

Possible synonyms: (Same meaning words of IMAGINATION)

• Conceit
• Idea
• notion
• thought
• affectation
• vanity
• abstraction
• imagination
• conception
• whim
• vagary
• egotism
• Wit
• Mind
• intellect
• sense
• reason
• understanding
• humor
• ingenuity

Related words: (words related to IMAGINATION)

• HUMOR
  A vitiated or morbid animal fluid, such as often causes an eruption on the skin. "A body full of humors." Sir W. Temple. 3. State of mind, whether habitual or temporary (as formerly supposed to depend on the character or combination of the fluids
• SENSE
  A faculty, possessed by animals, of perceiving external objects by means of impressions made upon certain organs (sensory or sense organs) of the body, or of perceiving changes in the condition of the body; as, the senses of sight, smell, hearing,
• AFFECTATIONIST
  One who exhibits affectation. Fitzed. Hall.
• REASONING
  1. The act or process of adducing a reason or reasons; manner of presenting one's reasons. 2. That which is offered in argument; proofs or reasons when arranged and developed; course of argument. His reasoning was sufficiently profound. Macaulay.
• THOUGHT
  imp. & p. p. of Think.
• REASONLESS
  1. Destitute of reason; as, a reasonless man or mind. Shak. 2. Void of reason; not warranted or supported by reason; unreasonable. This proffer is absurd and reasonless. Shak.
• UNDERSTANDINGLY
  In an understanding manner; intelligibly; with full knowledge or comprehension; intelligently; as, to vote upon a question understandingly; to act or judge understandingly. The gospel may be neglected, but in can not be understandingly disbelieved.
• INTELLECTUALIST
  1. One who overrates the importance of the understanding. Bacon. 2. One who accepts the doctrine of intellectualism.
• REASONABLY
  1. In a reasonable manner. 2. Moderately; tolerably. "Reasonably perfect in the language." Holder.
• INTELLECT
  The part or faculty of the human soul by which it knows, as distinguished from the power to feel and to will; sometimes, the capacity for higher forms of knowledge, as distinguished from the power to perceive objects in their relations; the power
• ABSTRACTION
  The act process of leaving out of consideration one or more properties of a complex object so as to attend to others; analysis. Thus, when the mind considers the form of a tree by itself, or the color of the leaves as separate from their size or
• IMAGINATIONALISM
  Idealism. J. Grote.
• THOUGHTLESS
  1. Lacking thought; careless; inconsiderate; rash; as, a thoughtless person, or act. 2. Giddy; gay; dissipated. Johnson. 3. Deficient in reasoning power; stupid; dull. Thoughtless as monarch oaks that shade the plain. Dryden. -- Thought"less*ly,
• CONCEPTIONAL
  Pertaining to conception.
• CONCEITEDLY
  1. In an egotistical manner. 2. Fancifully; whimsically.
• VANITY BOX
  A small box, usually jeweled or of precious metal and worn on a chain, containing a mirror, powder puff, and other small toilet articles for a woman.
• NOTIONATE
  Notional.
• CONCEITEDNESS
  The state of being conceited; conceit; vanity. Addison.
• HUMOROUSLY
  1. Capriciously; whimsically. We resolve rashly, sillily, or humorously. Calamy. 2. Facetiously; wittily.
• INTELLECTUAL
  1. Belonging to, or performed by, the intellect; mental; as, intellectual powers, activities, etc. Logic is to teach us the right use of our reason or intellectual powers. I. Watts. 2. Endowed with intellect; having the power of understanding;
• SUPERCONCEPTION
  Superfetation. Sir T. Browne.
• GOOD-HUMORED
  Having a cheerful spirit and demeanor; good-tempered. See Good- natured.
• INSENSE
  To make to understand; to instruct. Halliwell.
• BETHOUGHT
  imp. & p. p. of Bethink.
• SELF-CONCEIT
  Conceit of one's self; an overweening opinion of one's powers or endowments. Syn. -- See Egotism.
• FORETHOUGHT
  Thought of, or planned, beforehand; aforethought; prepense; hence, deliberate. "Forethought malice." Bacon.