fictional
adjective
fic·tion·al
ˈfik-sh(ə-)nəl 
: of, relating to, characterized by, or occurring in fiction : invented by the imagination
a fictional story/character
fictional dialogue
Over the past 15 years, Noble has created a fantastical, awe-inspiring fictional city called Nobson Newtown, which he renders in painstakingly detailed pencil drawings …—
Steve Rose
Steve RoseThere are several surprises about stories. The first is that we spend a great deal of time in fictional worlds, whether in daydreams, novels, confabulations or life narratives. When all is tallied up, the decades we spend in the realm of fantasy outstrip the time we spend in the real world.—David Eagleman
David EaglemanBesides scholarly writings and cultural criticism, he's turned out a fictional mystery series starring Edgar Allan Poe …—Edward Lewine
Edward Lewine
fictionally
adverb
… a film that documents the history of space science and fictionally portrays a journey to the moon …
—Lynn Baker et al.
Lynn Baker et al.
Synonyms of fictional
Examples of fictional in a Sentence
the events in the horror movie seemed so real to some fans that they could not believe that the whole thing was fictional
Recent Examples on the Web
All My Children was a forward-thinking, socially conscious soap set in the fictional town of Pine Valley, Pennsylvania.
—Literary Hub, 3 June 2026
Though they’re meant to have graduated from UPenn and UMich, the characters in Not Suitable for Work could easily have gone to the fictional Essex College of The Sex Lives of College Girls and before that hung out with the nerdy teens of Never Have I Ever in high school.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 3 June 2026
The announcement of Stratton's memoir also comes a little over a week before the release of Steven Spielberg's Disclosure Day, which follows a fictional whistleblower (Josh O'Connor) who attempts to expose the truth about a complex cover-up of alien life on Earth.
—Mike Miller, Entertainment Weekly, 3 June 2026
Interestingly, the film, despite co-starring Paul Dano as a fictional Kremlin operative, is a French production in English.
—Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald, 2 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for fictional
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Literary Hub, 3 June 2026
Though they’re meant to have graduated from UPenn and UMich, the characters in Not Suitable for Work could easily have gone to the fictional Essex College of The Sex Lives of College Girls and before that hung out with the nerdy teens of Never Have I Ever in high school.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 3 June 2026
The announcement of Stratton's memoir also comes a little over a week before the release of Steven Spielberg's Disclosure Day, which follows a fictional whistleblower (Josh O'Connor) who attempts to expose the truth about a complex cover-up of alien life on Earth.
—Mike Miller, Entertainment Weekly, 3 June 2026
Interestingly, the film, despite co-starring Paul Dano as a fictional Kremlin operative, is a French production in English.
—Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald, 2 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for fictional
Cite this Entry
“Fictional.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fictional. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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