imagination
n. C / Un. the ability to create pictures or ideas in your mind that are not real or are not happening right now. You use this when you think of a story or a new way to solve a problem.
n. the faculty or action of forming new ideas, images, or concepts of external objects not present to the senses. Often used to describe the creative capacity of the mind.
The child has a very vivid imagination.
Writing a fantasy novel requires a great deal of imagination to build a believable world from scratch.
While the technical execution of the painting was flawless, the critic argued that it lacked the spark of imagination required to truly move the viewer.
From Middle English ymaginacioun, from Old French imaginacion, ymaginacion, from Latin imāginātiō. Equivalent to imagine + -ation.
Uncountable when referring to the general mental faculty; countable when referring to a specific instance or a person's unique creative style.