fictional

American  

[fik-shuhn-l] / ˈfɪk ʃən l /

adjective

1. invented as part of a work of fiction.

   Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective.

2. of, like, or characterized by fiction.

   He used a fictional situation to explain the subject.

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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. )

Explanation

Something fictional has been invented, most likely for a book, play, or movie. But if you're really self-centered, you might think a fictional story is actually about you. As the adjective form of fiction, fictional covers all the creative fabrications that arise out of a person's imagination, which might then enter a novel, a screenplay, or some other form of storytelling. While fictional characters may be based loosely on real-life people, they never actually existed. In the movie "Citizen Kane," Orson Welles transformed the real newspaper mogul William Randolph Hearst into the fictional Charles Foster Kane. Hearst never went around whispering "Rosebud."

Example Sentences

Two couples who work at the fictional Monte Vista Point Country Club are feuding with each other.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026

Practically everywhere you look, there’s Meryl Streep’s fictional editrix-in-chief, Miranda Priestly, and Anne Hathaway’s plucky assistant-turned-editor, Andy Sachs, ready for their second big-screen outing few were asking for but everyone will watch.

From Salon • Apr. 20, 2026

Co-created and performed by Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson, “Mexodus” tells the fictional story of Henry, who evades his capture by fleeing Texas across the Rio Grande.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026

One installation, triggered by flushing the toilet inside the Tardis, emits the sound of the fictional time machine taking off.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

Leo had seen a lot of crazy stuff, but he had always thought merpeople were silly fictional creatures, like Smurfs or Muppets.

From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan

Related Words

• fabricated
• fanciful
• imaginary
• imagined
• made-up
• make believe