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 Your dry scratchy eyes also aren’t a figment of your imagination. — Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 22 July 2026 Pína and Hawk mysteriously slip out while Joe and Angela are in the kitchen, suggesting that the adventurous lovemakers may have just been figments of their imagination. — Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 11 July 2026 The irony was Morocco played more like the Netherlands lingering in our imagination, now an Oranje figment no longer grounded in reality. — James Horncastle, New York Times, 30 June 2026 That wasn’t a figment of the imagination. — Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 10 May 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
  • Pokémon cards, a pricey Ferrari shirt and a touristy museum of illusions.
    — Jeanne Bonner, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Rubin, who is also a children's book author and magician, has spent years working in the world of illusion and performance.
    — Danielle Minnetian, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of illusion
Noun
  • Forty-five films are selected for the fiction shortlist including Cannes 2026 Palme d’Or winner Fjord, Venice Golden Lion winner Woman Unknown and awards season frontrunners such as La Bola Negra and Coward.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Professor Dixon’s emails were just like his fiction writing—intimate and full of quotidian details.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of fiction
Noun
  • In a matter of weeks, when the midterm results are tallied and the next campaign begins, Democrats with presidential dreams know the question will be coming.
    — David Weigel, semafor.com, 19 Oct. 2026
  • In his dreams, Jose Fiscal Belli is still living an all-American life with his all-American family.
    — Gregory Royal Pratt, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of dream
Noun
  • Bag designs were more polarized, with oversize silhouettes and revivals of heritage styles juxtaposed to fantasy minaudière designs, sculptural clutches and embellished mini bags displaying brands’ craftsmanship and doubling as objects of art.
    — Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Continue reading … LIZ PEEK — Two troubled Senate races could spoil Democrats' blue-wave fantasy.
    — , FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of fantasy
Noun
  • The songs on Purdy also have the tone of journal entries, detailing haggard trips to the grocery store, daydreams about his young daughters’ glamorous adult lives, and observations about the banality of oppression.
    — Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Walking through prewar Berlin, taking in its historic architecture, Susanna daydreams of her native New York, an ever-changing city where buildings are torn down and rebuilt in the blink of an eye.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of daydream
Noun
  • In these structures, a thin ruthenium metal film formed selectively on the MoSe₂ regions, demonstrating another way to control material placement during semiconductor fabrication.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Before any physical fabrication starts, cell engineers use virtualization throughout the process.
    — John Voelcker, The Verge, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of fabrication
Noun
  • Usher syndrome is a rare genetic disorder that causes vision loss, hearing loss and balance issues, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
    — Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The condition can cause memory, vision, hearing and balance issues.
    — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of vision
Noun
  • Then on Wednesday morning, Luna reunited with her owners thanks to the efforts of local rescuers, tourists and park employees, capping a survival tale that required avoiding bears and coyotes while locating enough sustenance and shelter.
    — Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
  • That level of control precluded a Vatican media operation from spinning tall tales as occurred during John Paul's reign.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 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 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
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
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All