Synonym Chooser

How is the word fictitious distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of fictitious are apocryphal, fabulous, legendary, and mythical. While all these words mean "having the nature of something imagined or invented," fictitious implies fabrication and suggests artificiality or contrivance more than deliberate falsification or deception.

fictitious characters

When would apocryphal be a good substitute for fictitious?

The words apocryphal and fictitious are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, apocryphal implies an unknown or dubious source or origin or may imply that the thing itself is dubious or inaccurate.

a book that repeats many apocryphal stories

Where would fabulous be a reasonable alternative to fictitious?

The synonyms fabulous and fictitious are sometimes interchangeable, but fabulous stresses the marvelous or incredible character of something without necessarily implying impossibility or actual nonexistence.

a land of fabulous riches

In what contexts can legendary take the place of fictitious?

Although the words legendary and fictitious have much in common, legendary suggests the elaboration of invented details and distortion of historical facts produced by popular tradition.

the legendary exploits of Davy Crockett

When can mythical be used instead of fictitious?

While in some cases nearly identical to fictitious, mythical implies a purely fanciful explanation of facts or the creation of beings and events out of the imagination.

mythical creatures

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of fictitious The other participants were fictitious accounts based on actual online conferences that had previously occurred. Chuck Brooks, Forbes.com, 6 July 2025 Inside of the Rockland Trust on South Water Street, the fictitious Amity National Bank sign still hangs on the wall. Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 27 June 2025 Although it was portrayed as the fictitious Amity island in the film, many of the location sites are still favorite destinations with travelers — less so for the traffic and tourist-averse year-round islanders. Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 27 June 2025 Instead, the two lawyers achieved notoriety in 2023 when the judge in the case fined the pair $5,000 for citing six fictitious cases, invented by artificial intelligence software, in a brief to the court. Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 26 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for fictitious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fictitious
Adjective
  • Again, these are fictional groups from a Netflix movie (albeit, of course, with real singers behind them).
    Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 5 July 2025
  • In April 2025, Pascale Hutton, who plays Rosemary Coulter, shared a post on Instagram posing with her on-screen husband, Kavan Smith, who portrays Leland Coulter, and their fictional daughter, Marigold.
    Francesca Gariano, People.com, 5 July 2025
Adjective
  • The soundtrack shifts toward lighter indie rock and away from brain-numbing redundancies, while the story treats those imaginary genre sketches like an accidental off-ramp left in the rearview.
    Ben Travers, IndieWire, 10 July 2025
  • The Royal Observatory Greenwich is home to Greenwich Mean Time and the Prime Meridian, an imaginary line of longitude, designated as 0 degrees that runs from the North Pole to the South Pole.
    Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025
Adjective
  • Ozark Bathhouse, adorned with facade planters bearing pairs of mythical flying creatures, sometimes functions as a cultural center that hosts exhibits of arts and crafts.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 30 June 2025
  • The films blend the mythical lore of trolls into a classic monster movie packaging.
    Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 30 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Fictitious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fictitious. Accessed 15 Jul. 2025.

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