1
a
: something invented by the imagination or feigned
specifically
: an invented story
… I'd found out that the story of the ailing son was pure fiction. —
Andrew A. Rooney
Andrew A. Rooney
b
: fictitious literature (such as novels or short stories)
was renowned as a writer of fiction
c
: a work of fiction
2
a
: an assumption of a possibility as a fact irrespective of the question of its truth
a legal fiction
b
: a useful illusion or pretense
It was only a fiction of independence his mother gave him; he was almost totally under her power …—G. A. Wagner
G. A. Wagner3
: the action of feigning or of creating with the imagination
She engaged in fiction to escape painful realities.
Synonyms of fiction
Examples of fiction in a Sentence
She believes the fiction that crime rates are up.
most stories about famous outlaws of the Old West are fictions that have little or nothing to do with fact
Recent Examples on the Web
Middle grade fiction and graphic novels are very popular at our store.
—Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2026
Her essays and fiction have been published in Pleiades, The Drum, The Brevity Blog, The Briar Cliff Review, and The Coal Hill Review, among others.
—Literary Hub, 6 Feb. 2026
Set in Tallahassee, Florida, in 1978, this work of fiction explores the true crimes of Ted Bundy through the lens of the survivors, rather than his victims.
—Amanda Favazza, Southern Living, 6 Feb. 2026
For a generation raised on viral clips of air‑rage fights and customer‑service meltdowns, the quiet order of a Japanese train car—no loud phone calls, no overflowing trash—reads almost like aspirational fiction.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fiction
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2026
Her essays and fiction have been published in Pleiades, The Drum, The Brevity Blog, The Briar Cliff Review, and The Coal Hill Review, among others.
—Literary Hub, 6 Feb. 2026
Set in Tallahassee, Florida, in 1978, this work of fiction explores the true crimes of Ted Bundy through the lens of the survivors, rather than his victims.
—Amanda Favazza, Southern Living, 6 Feb. 2026
For a generation raised on viral clips of air‑rage fights and customer‑service meltdowns, the quiet order of a Japanese train car—no loud phone calls, no overflowing trash—reads almost like aspirational fiction.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fiction
Cite this Entry
“Fiction.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fiction. Accessed 9 Feb. 2026.
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