fiction

American  

[fik-shuhn] / ˈfɪk ʃən /

noun

• fictions
  plural

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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Synonym Usage

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

Derived Forms

• fictioneer
  noun
• semifiction
  noun
• fictional
  adjective
• profiction
  adjective
• semifictional
  adjective
• fictionally
  adverb
• semifictionally
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• fictions
  plural

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

See Examples For:

fiction fictions

Once I read that simple recipe, it changed the way I thought about every kind of genre fiction, including superhero tales like HBO’s “Lanterns.”

From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026

Playing tough guys early in his career, Hunnam says, was his way of trying to bridge the gap between him and his father, to prove he could be like him, even if only in fiction.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026

But the complicated case hinges almost exclusively on one key piece of evidence: a book co-authored by Davis that he has argued is partially a piece of fiction.

From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026

Even indulging the fiction that the addendum is a contract, contracts require parties, consideration, and terms that hold still.

From Slate ● Aug. 10, 2026

“A true researcher is a champion of facts, not make-believe. There’s a reason they’re shelved on the fiction side of the library.”

From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston

There’s something slightly disconcerting about seeing Golding’s austere, inward fictions placed alongside works operating in such different registers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026

He will burrow down even deeper, likely retreating even further into his fictions and fantasies.

From Salon ● Jun. 2, 2026

Importantly, and often understated, tokenized equities remain tied to the traditional financial-asset universe; they are not “crypto-only” fictions but rather a bridge between legacy asset classes and blockchain infrastructure.

From MarketWatch ● Feb. 19, 2026

While not inappropriate to a story in which fictions swamp facts, these zigs and zags can pull you out of the story rather than drawing you deeper in.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2025

You might think that those who think that the idea of discovery is a fiction would welcome such cases, but no: as far as they are concerned, multiple discoveries are fictions, too.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

Related Words

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