nonfiction

American  

[non-fik-shuhn] / nɒnˈfɪk ʃən /

noun

1. the branch of literature comprising works of narrative prose dealing with or offering opinions or conjectures upon facts and reality, including biography, history, and the essay (fiction and poetry anddrama ).

2. works of this class.

   She had read all of his novels but none of his nonfiction.

3. (especially in cataloging books, as in a library or bookstore) all writing or books not fiction, poetry, or drama, including nonfictive narrative prose and reference works; the broadest category of written works.

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nonfiction British  

/ ˌnɒnˈfɪkʃən /

noun

1. writing dealing with facts and events rather than imaginative narration

2. (modifier) relating to or denoting nonfiction

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Other Word Forms

• nonfictional adjective
• nonfictionally adverb

Etymology

Origin of nonfiction

First recorded in 1905–10; non- + fiction

Example Sentences

I was excited to see so many voices, new and familiar, dominate the 2024 nonfiction releases, showing that Latinas have played important roles in the Southern California story and deserve far more recognition.

From Los Angeles Times

Ms. Collinsworth provides few footnotes and no index, and at times veers close to the line between fiction and nonfiction.

From The Wall Street Journal

But he couldn’t stay settled and nonfiction writing gave him the perfect excuse to roam.

From The Wall Street Journal

At the local library, she skirted the kids’ section and went straight to the adult nonfiction shelves to read about terminal diseases in medical textbooks.

From Los Angeles Times

Franklin set the stage for thousands of subsequent writers who produced novels, memoirs and nonfiction books focusing on the working lives of Americans.

From The Wall Street Journal