fabricated

American  

[fab-ri-key-tid] / ˈfæb rɪˌkeɪ tɪd /

adjective

1. made by art or skill and labor.

   For the staircases, the ceramics manufacturer supplied a specially fabricated porcelain tile resembling natural stone.

2. made by assembling parts or sections.

   Plywood is a fabricated wood board made of three or more panels of wood veneer laid one on top of another.

3. (of a lie, story, excuse, etc.) devised or invented.

   That is a wholly fabricated allegation without any foundation whatsoever.

4. faked or forged.

   Scientists reported that the fabricated fossil had been made up of parts of a primitive bird and a dinosaur, glued together by a farmer.

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verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of fabricate.

Other Word Forms

• quasi-fabricated adjective
• unfabricated adjective
• well-fabricated adjective

Etymology

Origin of fabricated

First recorded in 1770–80; fabricate + -ed ² ( def. ) for the adjective senses; fabricate + -ed ¹ ( def. ) for the verb sense

Explanation

Something that's fabricated is faked or invented, like a fabricated story about how the dog ate your homework. Trust us, no one believes that. If a journalist uses fabricated quotes, it means he made them up, and if a police officer uses fabricated evidence, it means she deliberately planted or falsified it. Some fabricated things are literally manufactured, like the fabricated parts used to build a car. Both senses of this adjective come from the verb fabricate, "construct" or "make," and share a root with fabric that means "fit together."

Example Sentences

These systems are — as has been extensively and embarrassingly documented — prone to generating fabricated citations, misreading evidentiary context and issuing confident-sounding verdicts about matters they fundamentally do not understand.

From Salon • Apr. 23, 2026

In some cases they listed properties using false or nonexistent addresses and posted fabricated reviews to make listings appear more legitimate.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2026

A day later, during a meeting with our undercover reporter, Tanisa appeared confident that these changes would not make it any harder to obtain asylum on the basis of fabricated evidence.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

One user’s Google Gemini chatbot fabricated calendar and email details, creating the false appearance of a data breach.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026

But the words of the others were stronger than the strength of philanthropic dollars, deeper than shafts sunk in the earth for oil and gold, more awe-inspiring than the miracles fabricated in scientific laboratories.

From "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison

Related Words

• abstract
• distorted
• excessive
• extravagant
• false
• farfetched
• hyperbolic
• inflated
• magnified
• melodramatic
• overblown
• overwrought
• preposterous
• pretentious
• stylized
• unrealistic