fiction

noun fic·tion \ ˈfik-shən \

|Updated on: 5 Aug 2018

Examples: fiction in a Sentence

Definition of fiction

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

b : fictitious literature (such as novels or short stories)

was renowned as a writer of fiction

c : a work of fiction; especially : novel

Her latest work is a fiction set during the Civil War.

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

3 : the action of feigning or of creating with the imagination

She engaged in fiction to escape painful realities.

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fictional

play \ˈfik-shnəl, -shə-nᵊl\ adjective

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fictionality

play \ˌfik-shə-ˈna-lə-tē\ noun

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fictionally

play \ˈfik-shnə-lē, -shə-nᵊl-ē\ adverb

See fiction defined for English-language learners

See fiction defined for kids

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 of fiction from the Web

On Monday, July 16, at 7 p.m. at The Mystic & Noank Library, 40 Library St., Mystic, journalist Charles Monagan, a former columnist and editor of Connecticut Magazine who has published 10 books of fiction and nonfiction, will speak.

— hartford courant, courant.com, "Write Stuff: Charles Monagan Kicks Off CT Authors Trail, Avon's Author Fest Continues," 11 July 2018
In terms of diversity, YA is also light-years ahead of adult fiction.

— refinery29.com, "The Ultimate YA Beach Reads Of 2018," 11 July 2018
Whatever happens in the arena of fake news, the same techniques are sure to revolutionise fiction of a different kind, in the form of film and television.

— The Economist, "What if AI made actors immortal?," 5 July 2018
Books help us learn more about each other, whether through fiction or nonfiction. ...

— danielle hernandez, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Danielle's Report: U-T to host second annual San Diego Festival of Books," 5 July 2018
The literary magazine, The Boston Review, where Díaz serves as fiction editor, also declined to discipline him or remove him from his post.

— anne branigin, The Root, "Junot Díaz Says He Regrets Statement Apologizing for Sexual Misconduct, Denies Allegations," 3 July 2018
Some fiction books survived the physical book purge, but encyclopedias, old Courier Journal newspapers and National Geographic magazines are gone.

— zahria rogers, The Courier-Journal, "St. Xavier High School submits plans for $6 million library renovation," 3 July 2018
They weren’t just anthologized once or twice in prestigious mainstream publications, but rather won a more lasting name among fiction lovers.

— jeet heer, The New Republic, "Harlan Ellison’s Death Raises a #MeToo Quandary," 2 July 2018
Díaz has kept his teaching position at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and his fiction editor role at the Boston Review after separate investigations.

— daniel arkin /, NBC News, "Junot Díaz denies misconduct allegations, says he was 'shocked'," 2 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'fiction.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of fiction

Middle English ficcioun "invention of the mind," borrowed from Middle French fiction, borrowed from Latin fictiōn-, fictiō "action of shaping or molding, feigning, pretense, legal fiction," from fig-, variant stem of fingere "to mold, fashion, make a likeness of, pretend to be" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action — more at feign

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

fiction Synonyms

Other Literature Terms

apophasis, bathos, bildungsroman, bowdlerize, caesura, coda, doggerel, euphemism, poesy, prosody

FICTION Defined for English Language Learners

fiction

noun

Definition of fiction for English Language Learners

: written stories about people and events that are not real : literature that tells stories which are imagined by the writer
: something that is not true

FICTION Defined for Kids

fiction

noun fic·tion \ ˈfik-shən \

Definition of fiction for Students

1 : something told or written that is not fact

2 : a made-up story

3 : works of literature that are not true stories

Word Root of fiction

The Latin word fingere, meaning “to shape” or “to mold,” and its form fictus give us the roots fig and fict. Words from the Latin fingere have something to do with shaping. The figure of something, especially a person's body, is its shape. To disfigure is to change the shape and ruin the looks of something. Fiction is something written that is not fact but is shaped by the imagination.