science fiction

American  

[sahy-uhns fik-shuhn] / ˈsaɪ əns ˈfɪk ʃən /

Also scifi,

noun

1. a form of fiction that draws imaginatively on scientific knowledge and speculation in its plot, setting, theme, etc.

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science fiction British  

noun

1. 1. a literary genre that makes imaginative use of scientific knowledge or conjecture

   2. ( as modifier )

      a science fiction writer

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science fiction Cultural  

1. Works of fiction that use scientific discoveries or advanced technology — either actual or imaginary — as part of their plot. Jules Verne and H. G. Wells were early writers of science fiction. More recent ones are Isaac Asimov and Ray Bradbury.

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Etymology

Origin of science fiction

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

science fiction

Then he paid high school students to write on the papyrus using passages from "Star Wars," the Bible, and a quote from the 1960s science fiction television show "The Outer Limits."

From Science Daily ● Sep. 26, 2026

Deep-sea mining, once the preserve of science fiction, is moving closer to reality, and it’s at the heart of great-power competition.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026

Consequently, the strongest science fiction may not choose between hope and warning.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026

Instead, when people spoke about medbeds, it was in the context of science fiction.

From Slate ● Sep. 22, 2026

But in the meantime two scientists had developed a theory about HeLa that sounded far more like science fiction than anything Rifkin had come up with: HeLa, they said, was no longer human.

From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot

Related Words

• SF
• sci-fi