nonfiction

American  

[non-fik-shuhn] / nɒnˈfɪk ʃən /

noun

1. the branch of literature comprising works of narrative prose dealing with or offering opinions or conjectures upon facts and reality, including biography, history, and the essay (fiction and poetry anddrama ).

2. works of this class.

   She had read all of his novels but none of his nonfiction.

3. (especially in cataloging books, as in a library or bookstore) all writing or books not fiction, poetry, or drama, including nonfictive narrative prose and reference works; the broadest category of written works.

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nonfiction British  

/ ˌnɒnˈfɪkʃən /

noun

1. writing dealing with facts and events rather than imaginative narration

2. (modifier) relating to or denoting nonfiction

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Other Word Forms

• nonfictional adjective
• nonfictionally adverb

Etymology

Origin of nonfiction

First recorded in 1905–10; non- + fiction

Example Sentences

The heady early years at Apple, wartime endurance in Britain, Motown’s hidden genius and more of the month’s best nonfiction.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

Most known and loved for 1984’s “Paris, Texas,” the filmmaker has more recently devoted his work to nonfiction storytelling.

From Salon • Mar. 6, 2026

The 2026 Oscar-nominated animated shorts mix the past and the present, fable and nonfiction.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 16, 2026

His final film earned universal critical acclaim, and was recognized as the best nonfiction film of 2023 by the New York Film Critics Circle, the Los Angeles Film Critics Assn.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 16, 2026

I read books about slavery, fiction and nonfiction.

From "Kindred" by Octavia Butler