figment

noun

ˈfig-mənt How to pronounce figment (audio)
Definition of figmentnext
1
as in illusion
a conception or image created by the imagination and having no objective reality unable to find any tracks in the snow the next morning, I was forced to conclude that the shadowy figure had been a figment of my imagination

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in fiction
something that is the product of the imagination thus far, the invisible human being has been nothing more than a figment of fantasy writers

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of figment Fear is a figment of your imagination. — Okla Jones, Essence, 26 Apr. 2026 In what might be a spoiler if it weren’t revealed in the first few minutes of the play, Bert is a figment of Kenneth’s imagination. — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 22 Apr. 2026 That description is essentially true; as a puppet designer and puppeteer, his job entails figuring out how to materialize figments of the imagination. — Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2026 According to Jean-Jacques L’Henaff, vice president of design at American Standard, the shift away from bathtubs is not a figment of our imagination. — Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for figment
Recent Examples of Synonyms for figment
  1. illusion
  2. fiction
  3. dream
  4. fantasy
  5. daydream
  6. fabrication
  7. vision
  8. tale
Noun
  • Neither side, however, is under any illusion about the nature of the enduring competition.
    — Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026
  • As the bartender quieted whatever terrible hair-metal mixtape had been playing over the house PA, and the lights glowed red on the stage, Ryan was trying to create the illusion of a behind-the-curtain, big-stage, rock star entrance.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of illusion
Noun
  • For the science-fiction concepts underpinning that world, including gravity control, faster-than-light communication and cognitive materialization, Kamiyama worked with novelist Toh EnJoe, credited as SF setting supervisor, as an outside arbiter.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 11 Aug. 2026
  • In the new science-fiction mystery The End of Oak Street, Hathaway stars alongside Ewan McGregor as a couple whose family comes face-to-face with dinosaurs in their neighborhood.
    — Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of fiction
Noun
  • Fairview’s board thought hard before committing to such a costly venture, but had a dream, said Edie Kalin, president of the Odd Fellows Home of CT.
    — Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 10 Aug. 2026
  • The trio’s minimalist approach to electronic pop music — which draws from dream pop, electro-rock and other styles — has aged impeccably over the years.
    — Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of dream
Noun
  • This is the same thing, only moms are living their I-wish-when-I-was-in-college fantasies through their daughters.
    — Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Rum has always been good at fantasy, conjuring sunshine in a bad bar, smuggling a little heat in the cold, and making the most sensible drinker briefly vulnerable to the pull of a paper umbrella.
    — Lela London, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of fantasy
Noun
  • And amidst the momentum of reverie, there’s the line ‘Blink at the light and hope to survive,’ because daydreams in a fascist state can be scary too.
    — Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 23 June 2026
  • One-touch passing, feinting and ripping hard shots into a tattered net, each is super-charged by vivid daydreams of glory on the international stage.
    — Jason Motlagh, Rolling Stone, 22 June 2026
Definition of daydream
Noun
  • Jason Arday, the sociologist who made history as Cambridge University's youngest Black professor, has resigned from the university after weeks of mounting accusations of plagiarism and fabrications in his biography.
    — Inaya Folarin Iman, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The project follows Tesla’s move earlier this year to break ground on a research fabrication facility at the North Campus of Giga Texas.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of fabrication
Noun
  • For families While Hôtel Royal’s opulence certainly doesn’t lean into the traditional vision of a family-friendly hotel, their thoughtful amenities sure do.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Aug. 2026
  • The Skoll Foundation's vision is to live in a sustainable world of peace and prosperity for all.
    — Big Think, Big Think, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of vision
Noun
  • No two tales of what happened to Maelor after his knight protector was shot dead agree, but the young boy was also slain on the bridge, perhaps torn apart by the mob who assailed him, arguing over what to do with the young prince.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • This time, though, there’s more heavy metal influence — more guitar, more drums, more church organ, more attitude — to complement Cathedral’s grim tale.
    — Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of tale

Browse Nearby Words

fig leafs
figment
figments
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Figment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/figment. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of salvo

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

'Gaslighting,' 'Woke,' 'Democracy,' and Other Top Lookups
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All