fiction
Americannoun
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the class of literature comprising works of imaginative narration, especially in prose form.
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works of this class, as novels or short stories.
detective fiction.
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something feigned, invented, or imagined; a made-up story.
We've all heard the fiction of her being in delicate health.
- Antonyms:
- fact
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the act of feigning, inventing, or imagining.
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an imaginary thing or event, postulated for the purposes of argument or explanation.
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Law. an allegation that a fact exists that is known not to exist, made by authority of law to bring a case within the operation of a rule of law.
noun
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literary works invented by the imagination, such as novels or short stories
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an invented story or explanation; lie
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the act of inventing a story or explanation
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law something assumed to be true for the sake of convenience, though probably false
Related Words
Fiction, fabrication, figment suggest a story that is without basis in reality. Fiction suggests a story invented and fashioned either to entertain or to deceive: clever fiction; pure fiction. Fabrication applies particularly to a false but carefully invented statement or series of statements, in which some truth is sometimes interwoven, the whole usually intended to deceive: fabrications to lure speculators. Figment applies to a tale, idea, or statement often made up to explain, justify, or glorify oneself: His rich uncle was a figment of his imagination.
Other Word Forms
- fictional adjective
- fictionally adverb
- fictioneer noun
- profiction adjective
- semifiction noun
- semifictional adjective
- semifictionally adverb
Etymology
Origin of fiction
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English ficcio(u)n, from French, from Latin fictiōn- (stem of fictiō ) “a shaping,” hence “a feigning, fiction,” equivalent to fict(us) “molded” (past participle of fingere ) + -iōn- -ion; figment ( def. )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
His movies hold up, and that’s hard to do with science fiction.
From Los Angeles Times
Literary fiction is a particular interest of mine so I publish almost entirely literary fiction, but not exclusively.
From Los Angeles Times
It sounds like science fiction...it is rapidly becoming economic fact.
From BBC
All of Meow Wolf’s exhibitions have a sci-fi bent, and Los Angeles will be no different, with many a nod to films of science fiction and fantasy.
From Los Angeles Times
This principle of Mexican diplomacy, the Estrada Doctrine, is at best a polite fiction.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
