1
as in synthetic
being such in appearance only and made with or manufactured from usually cheaper materials
presumably the statue is of factitious marble, because for that price you're not going to get the real stuff
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in unnatural
lacking in natural or spontaneous quality
the factitious friendliness shown by the beauty-pageant contestants to one another
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of factitious
Another was shorting Valeant, the high-flyer with factitious revenue growth.
—
William Baldwin, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025
With this announcement, factitious (in my opinion) concerns about Amazon being behind in GenAI will be reduced big time.
—Sandy Carter, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024
This is a useful inquiry, because we in the modern world are inundated by manipulated or factitious statistics, fabricated by marketers and politicians, promoted on social media and swallowed whole by news organizations.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 14 Dec. 2023
Their connection to these was as factitious as their previous link to toothpaste.
—David Mamet, National Review, 31 Mar. 2022
Marc Feldman, the American psychiatrist who popularized the term Munchausen by internet, has noticed that most of the cases of factitious disorder that come to his attention involve women.
—Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 16 Mar. 2021
Almanacs aren’t always — and haven’t always been — so fastidiously factitious.
—Mark Athitakis, Washington Post, 24 Nov. 2020
William Baldwin, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025
With this announcement, factitious (in my opinion) concerns about Amazon being behind in GenAI will be reduced big time.
—Sandy Carter, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024
This is a useful inquiry, because we in the modern world are inundated by manipulated or factitious statistics, fabricated by marketers and politicians, promoted on social media and swallowed whole by news organizations.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 14 Dec. 2023
Their connection to these was as factitious as their previous link to toothpaste.
—David Mamet, National Review, 31 Mar. 2022
Marc Feldman, the American psychiatrist who popularized the term Munchausen by internet, has noticed that most of the cases of factitious disorder that come to his attention involve women.
—Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 16 Mar. 2021
Almanacs aren’t always — and haven’t always been — so fastidiously factitious.
—Mark Athitakis, Washington Post, 24 Nov. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for factitious
Adjective
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Today’s versions are typically made by casting various synthetic materials into bodily shapes.—
Mack DeGeurin,
Popular Science,
25 Sep. 2025
-
Bills in the legislature in 2023 and 2025 attempting to regulate kratom — via age restrictions, labeling requirements and the prohibition of synthetic alkaloids like 7-OH — failed to pass out of committee.—
David Hudnall,
Kansas City Star,
24 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
However, his unnatural exit from the sport made headlines in his final season at the Bahrain Grand Prix through an incident that reminded everyone about the dangers of motorsport.—
Saajan Jogia,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Sep. 2025
-
Imitating the speech or body language of others during a conversation is another form of masking, along with forcing eye contact or facial expressions, which may feel unnatural.—
Angelica Stabile,
FOXNews.com,
23 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The makeup was similar to the high glam Williams has donned before, comprised of a bright undereye, bronze and mauve shadow across her crease, faux lashes, warm-toned contour under her cheekbones, an earthy brown lip liner and nude lipstick.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
25 Sep. 2025
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Crafted from faux oak leaves, pumpkins, and foliage, this pick won’t wilt or rot after several months outside, and it can even be packed away in storage to use again next year.—
Maggie Horton,
PEOPLE,
25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Bondi’s appearance on Fox News comes days after Comey was indicted by a federal grand jury on two of three counts sought by prosecutors, one count of making false statements and one count of obstruction of justice, according to documents.—
Sydney Topf,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Sep. 2025
-
Criminal court records reviewed by PEOPLE show the 35-year-old faces charges of public intoxication, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and a false report.—
Colson Thayer,
PEOPLE,
27 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
By springtime, the lingering sight of the giant artificial tree — still decked out in blinking lights and a red bow — was drawing attention on social media and causing concern for the mall's future.—
JC Reindl,
Freep.com,
26 Sep. 2025
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Surgeons and doctors often rely on artificial models to practice delicate procedures.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Owain Jones of Pro Football Network has suggested Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer as a potential option for the Steelers in his new mock draft.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Sep. 2025
-
New research found that the technology underpinning a slew of artificial intelligence models is now advanced enough to pass even the most difficult – Level III – mock exams in a matter of minutes.—
Leslie Picker,
CNBC,
24 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Sandu’s reelection came amidst an election that was laced with allegations of Russian interference and was marred by fake bomb threats.—
Rajeev Tyagi,
ABC News,
29 Sep. 2025
-
Jessica Guistolise, Megan Hurley and Molly Kelley talk with CNBC in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on July 11, 2025, about fake pornographic images and videos depicting their faces made by their mutual friend Ben using AI site DeepSwap.—
Jonathan Vanian,
CNBC,
28 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
From frequent relocations to a carousel of careers (culminating in a stint in Hot Springs), his choices left indelible marks on those closest to him, including strained relationships and tangled finances.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
28 Sep. 2025
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In other instances, the lyrics feel a bit strained.—
Juan J. Arroyo,
Rolling Stone,
26 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Factitious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/factitious. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
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