figment

IPA/ˈfɪɡmənt/
KK[fˈɪɡmɪnt]IPA/ˈfɪɡmənt/

figment — noun

1. something such as a sight, sound, or idea that a person believes is real but has

1.nounB2
Definition

something such as a sight, sound, or idea that a person believes is real but has been created entirely by their own mind

Example

Theo's fear of a monster under his bed was just a figment of his imagination.

figment of [possessive] imagination — fixed phrase

Aiko thought she heard her name in the wind, but the sound was a figment.

Common collocations
  • figment of [someone's] imagination
  • mere figment
  • only a figment
  • just a figment
Synonyms
  • illusion

    suggests something that tricks the senses; figment emphasises mental invention

  • hallucination

    implies a sensory experience caused by illness or drugs; figment is not medical

  • fantasy

    broader — can be a deliberate daydream; figment is always mistaken for real

Antonyms
  • fact

    something known to be true and real

  • reality

    the state of things as they actually exist

Usage Note

Almost always used in the fixed phrase 'figment of [someone's] imagination', which emphasises that something is entirely unreal.

Common Mistakes

I had a figment about winning the lottery.
Winning the lottery was just a figment of my imagination.
'figment' is not used alone as a synonym for 'daydream' or 'fantasy'; it requires the 'of [someone's] imagination' frame.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe something unreal, but each has a different emphasis. 'Figment' is nearly always part of the fixed phrase 'figment of [someone's] imagination', meaning a thing that exists only in a person's mind. 'Illusion' refers to something that deceives the senses — a magic trick creates an illusion, not a figment. 'Hallucination' is a sensory perception caused by illness, drugs, or exhaustion, while a figment can arise from ordinary imagination. 'Fantasy' often describes a pleasant daydream that the person knows is not real; a figment is mistaken for something real. 'Delusion' implies a false belief held despite clear evidence to the contrary — a paranoid thought is a delusion, not a figment. For example: 'The shadow she saw was a figment of her tired mind' vs. 'He suffered from delusions of being followed.'

illusion ↗hallucination ↗fantasy ↗delusion ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

  • figment of [someone's] imagination
  • a mere figment
  • only a figment
  • just a figment

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

From Latin 'fgmentum' meaning 'something shaped or invented', derived from 'fingere' (to shape, form, or fashion). The sense of 'something imagined' developed in Latin and was carried into English through French in the 1400s.