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
In her directorial feature debut, which blurs the boundaries between documentary and fiction, Nolitha Refilwe Mkulisi looks to revive the energy of beloved 1990s South African musical game show, Jam Alley, to take a very different look at her hometown, the village of Tapoleng.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 23 Jan. 2026
Giles, who translates commercial fiction from Scandinavian languages into English, used to supplement his income with translation work from companies, but that has now disappeared.
—Lianne Kolirin, CNN Money, 23 Jan. 2026
For the week ending January 18, 2026 Here are this week’s Independent Press Top 40 Bestsellers for fiction, based on sales in hundreds of independent bookstores nationwide, generously provided by the American Booksellers Association.
—Literary Hub, 22 Jan. 2026
Steeped in the speculative fiction tradition of Black Southern horror, Sinners is a tale about America that is both familiar and foreign depending on who’s watching the movie.
—Sabrina Reed, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fiction
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 23 Jan. 2026
Giles, who translates commercial fiction from Scandinavian languages into English, used to supplement his income with translation work from companies, but that has now disappeared.
—Lianne Kolirin, CNN Money, 23 Jan. 2026
For the week ending January 18, 2026 Here are this week’s Independent Press Top 40 Bestsellers for fiction, based on sales in hundreds of independent bookstores nationwide, generously provided by the American Booksellers Association.
—Literary Hub, 22 Jan. 2026
Steeped in the speculative fiction tradition of Black Southern horror, Sinners is a tale about America that is both familiar and foreign depending on who’s watching the movie.
—Sabrina Reed, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 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 28 Jan. 2026.
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