fictional

adjective

fic·​tion·​al ˈfik-sh(ə-)nəl How to pronounce fictional (audio)
: 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
There 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
Besides scholarly writings and cultural criticism, he's turned out a fictional mystery series starring Edgar Allan Poe …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.

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
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.
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 Again, these are fictional groups from a Netflix movie (albeit, of course, with real singers behind them). Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 5 July 2025 Fast-moving story: To quote fictional news man Ron Burgundy… that escalated quickly. Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 4 July 2025 On its surface, Mr. Robot follows Elliot Alderson, a cybersecurity engineer for fictional megacompany Allsafe by day, who moonlights as a hacker cybervigilante by night. Lauren Huff, EW.com, 4 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for fictional

Word History

First Known Use

1834, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fictional was in 1834

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fictional.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fictional. Accessed 12 Jul. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on fictional

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!