fiction

American  

[fik-shuhn] / ˈfɪk ʃən /

noun

1. the class of literature comprising works of imaginative narration, especially in prose form.

2. works of this class, as novels or short stories.

   detective fiction.

3. something feigned, invented, or imagined; a made-up story.

   We've all heard the fiction of her being in delicate health.

   Synonyms:

   fantasy, fable

   Antonyms:

   fact

4. the act of feigning, inventing, or imagining.

5. an imaginary thing or event, postulated for the purposes of argument or explanation.

6. 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.

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fiction British  

/ ˈfɪkʃən /

noun

1. literary works invented by the imagination, such as novels or short stories

2. an invented story or explanation; lie

3. the act of inventing a story or explanation

4. law something assumed to be true for the sake of convenience, though probably false

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fiction Cultural  

1. Literature that is a work of the imagination and is not necessarily based on fact. Some examples of modern works of fiction are The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Lolita, by Vladimir Nabokov.

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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; see figment ( def. )

Explanation

A fiction is a deliberately fabricated account of something. It can also be a literary work based on imagination rather than on fact, like a novel or short story. The Latin word fictus means “to form,” which seems like a good source for the English word fiction, since fiction is formed in the imagination. Like its literary cousins fable, legend, and myth, however, fiction has a slightly darker additional meaning: a deliberate lie or untruth. When we talk about "the line between fact and fiction," we're talking about the difference between truth and lies.

Example Sentences

In many cases, critics frame objections around “historical accuracy” or fidelity to source material, while supporters argue mythology and fiction have always evolved through reinterpretation and artistic adaptation.

From Salon • May 16, 2026

Featuring new work from masters like Silvia Moreno-Garcia and SoCal’s Gary Phillips, our Summer 2026 books preview highlights this season’s most anticipated crime fiction and suspense novels.

From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 2026

I’ll be a focused fiction writer and a focused Gi student.

From Slate • May 10, 2026

She was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 2009 for fiction that chronicled the horrors of Ceaușescu’s totalitarianism, which lasted from 1965 to his overthrow and execution in 1989.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026

But fiction has enabled us not merely to imagine things, but to do so collectively.

From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari

Related Words

• book
• drama
• fable
• fantasy
• imagination
• legend
• myth
• narrative
• novel
• tale
• yarn