fanciful
adjective
fan·ci·ful
ˈfan(t)-si-fəl 
1
: marked by fancy or unrestrained imagination rather than by reason and experience
a fanciful person
a fanciful tale of a monster in the woods
2
: existing in fancy (see fancy entry 2) only
a fanciful notion
the falsehoods about some fanciful secret treaties—
F. D. Roosevelt
F. D. Roosevelt3
: marked by or as if by fancy or whim
gave their children fanciful names
Examples of fanciful in a Sentence
a fanciful tale of a monster in the woods
They gave all their children fanciful names.
Recent Examples on the Web
At age 30, Davis has transformed those fanciful visions into concrete reality.
—Childs Walker, Baltimore Sun, 28 Feb. 2025
But next spring, the thought that the iPhone 16e will be replaced by the iPhone 17e seems fanciful to me.
—David Phelan, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2025
But the idea of them overhauling Liverpool seems fanciful.
—James McNicholas, The Athletic, 23 Feb. 2025
One way is by visiting the fanciful formations of frozen waterfalls and cascades in Johnston Canyon, a 15.5-mile drive west of Banff.
—Cindy Hirschfeld, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fanciful
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Childs Walker, Baltimore Sun, 28 Feb. 2025
But next spring, the thought that the iPhone 16e will be replaced by the iPhone 17e seems fanciful to me.
—David Phelan, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2025
But the idea of them overhauling Liverpool seems fanciful.
—James McNicholas, The Athletic, 23 Feb. 2025
One way is by visiting the fanciful formations of frozen waterfalls and cascades in Johnston Canyon, a 15.5-mile drive west of Banff.
—Cindy Hirschfeld, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fanciful
Cite this Entry
“Fanciful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fanciful. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
fanciful
adjective
fan·ci·ful
ˈfan(t)-si-fəl
1
: having or showing free imagination rather than reason
a fanciful person
a fanciful tale
2
: existing in fancy only
a fanciful notion
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