definitions

factitious

[ fak-tish-uh s ]
/ fækˈtɪʃ əs /
|
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR factitious ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

not spontaneous or natural; artificial; contrived: factitious laughter; factitious enthusiasm.
made; manufactured: a decoration of factitious flowers and leaves.

Nearby words

faction, faction fight, factional, factionalize, factious, factitious, factitious disorder, factitive, factive, factoid, factor

Origin of factitious

First recorded in 1640–50, factitious is from the Latin word factīcius made by art, artificial. See fact, -itious

Related forms

Can be confused

facetious factious factitious fictional fictitiousfactitious fictional fictitious fictive
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for factitious

British Dictionary definitions for factitious

factitious

/ (fækˈtɪʃəs) /

adjective

artificial rather than naturalfactitious demands created by the mass media
not genuine; shamfactitious enthusiasm

Derived Forms

factitiously, adverbfactitiousness, noun

Word Origin for factitious

C17: from Latin factīcius, from facere to make, do
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medicine definitions for factitious

factitious

[ făk-tĭsh′əs ]

adj.

Produced artificially rather than by a natural process.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.