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
My father gravitated toward elevated crime fiction—Elmore Leonard, Dick Francis, Carl Hiassen, as well as more left-field picks like Allan Gurganus.
—Ian MacKenzie, Literary Hub, 27 May 2026
The film, which screened at a number of global festivals, has been credited for opening the door for a new wave of Japanese ultra-violent horror and science-fiction cinema.
—Payton Turkeltaub, Variety, 26 May 2026
That is still a human-narrator strength, particularly in fiction.
—Gabriel Alin Zainescu, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
The 1995 film created an enduring visual image of Pocahontas, and contained some details drawn from the historical record, though plenty is pure fiction.
—Peter C. Mancall, The Conversation, 25 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for fiction
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Ian MacKenzie, Literary Hub, 27 May 2026
The film, which screened at a number of global festivals, has been credited for opening the door for a new wave of Japanese ultra-violent horror and science-fiction cinema.
—Payton Turkeltaub, Variety, 26 May 2026
That is still a human-narrator strength, particularly in fiction.
—Gabriel Alin Zainescu, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
The 1995 film created an enduring visual image of Pocahontas, and contained some details drawn from the historical record, though plenty is pure fiction.
—Peter C. Mancall, The Conversation, 25 May 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 31 May. 2026.
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