fictional
Americanadjective
-
invented as part of a work of fiction.
Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective.
-
of, like, or characterized by fiction.
He used a fictional situation to explain the subject.
Usage
What’s the difference between fictional, fictitious, and fictive? Fictional means invented as part of a work of fiction, as in Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective or This account is entirely fictional—it’s not based on a true story. Fictitious most commonly means false or made up, as in I signed in with a fictitious name to hide my identity. Fictive is a much less commonly used word that means imaginary or relating to or capable of creating fiction, as in a fictive imagination.Confusingly, their meanings can overlap—fictitious can sometimes mean the same thing as fictional, and fictive can sometimes mean the same thing as fictitious. It can be tough to remember which word is the right one to use since all three are adjectives that are used in contexts involving things that are imagined or made up.Still, they are usually used in pretty specific ways. Fictional is almost always applied to stories and characters that are part of creative works, like books and movies, whereas fictitious is most commonly used in the context of things that are made up to conceal something or deceive someone in real life. Fictitious can usually be replaced with the word fake—this is not the case for fictional.Here’s an example of fictional, fictitious and fictive used correctly in the same sentence.Example: Instead of using fictitious names that no one would notice, his aliases were the names of fictional characters, like Clark Kent and Peter Parker—you would think a con artist would have a more fictive imagination.Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between fictional, fictitious, and fictive.
Other Word Forms
- fictionally adverb
Etymology
Origin of fictional
First recorded in 1840–45; fiction ( def. ) + -al 1 ( 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.
Lifelike meme videos have also been used to depict fictional Iranian military victories and even the strategic Strait of Hormuz reimagined as a cartoonish toll booth.
From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026
They’re going to create all these fictional conspiracy theories.
From Slate • Mar. 30, 2026
Later still, the organization expanded into a more-modern lab, in Holmdel, N.J., which now serves as the fictional headquarters for Lumon Industries in the Apple TV+ series “Severance.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 28, 2026
HBO on Wednesday revealed the release date and trailer for its new “Harry Potter” series, offering the first glimpse into the new version of Hogwarts, the fictional school for young wizards and witches.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 25, 2026
Mr. Daniels asks us to write about our favorite fictional character—a person we consider to be a hero—and be ready to tell the class about who it is.
From "Fish in a Tree" by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
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.
