historical fiction

American  

noun

1. the genre of literature, film, etc., comprising narratives that take place in the past and are characterized chiefly by an imaginative reconstruction of historical events and personages.

2. works of this genre, as novels and plays.

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Etymology

Origin of historical fiction

First recorded in 1585–95

Example Sentences

Both were popular novelists of rip-roaring historical fiction, both were politically active Tories, and both had the Borderlands at the heart of their works and lives.

From BBC • Feb. 3, 2026

The historical fiction imagines the Mexican and American armies fighting for control of the West — part myth, fact and fiction spanning the past and present.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 30, 2026

“Titanic” was not merely a romance; it was also historical fiction, a drama and a big-budget action.

From Salon • Jan. 23, 2026

Though “1923” has already grown its audience significantly in its second and final season, there should be no shame in reaching out to the stans of another highly successful historical fiction series.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 21, 2025

This novel is a work of historical fiction.

From "Mississippi Trial, 1955" by Chris Crowe