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metafiction

American  
[met-uh-fik-shuhn] / ˈmɛt əˌfɪk ʃən /

noun

  1. fiction that discusses, describes, or analyzes a work of fiction or the conventions of fiction.


Etymology

Origin of metafiction

First recorded in 1975–80


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.

See Examples For:

As metafiction goes, it could hardly be more poignant, though poignancy is not the author’s style.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 20, 2026

While it’s far from unique — everyone from Miguel Cervantes to James Joyce to Jorge Luis Borges to Kurt Vonnegut have played with metafiction — that doesn’t negate its potential.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 9, 2024

By the Book: The novelist Sam Lipsyte reads everything — including mall design metafiction.

From New York Times ● Dec. 11, 2022

I also enjoy all the metafiction in there.

From Salon ● Nov. 21, 2022

It’s a high-wire act of metafiction, and it works.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2022

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