nonfiction

noun non·fic·tion \ ˌnän-ˈfik-shən \

|Updated on: 11 Aug 2018

Examples: nonfiction in a Sentence

Definition of nonfiction

: writing or cinema that is about facts and real events

He prefers to read nonfiction rather than novels.

—

nonfictional

play \ˌnän-ˈfik-shnəl, -shə-nᵊl\ adjective

See nonfiction defined for English-language learners

See nonfiction defined for kids

Examples of nonfiction in a Sentence

He reads a lot of nonfiction.

Recent Examples of nonfiction 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
Other prominent winners included Roxane Gay (who won the Trustee Award and also the award for bisexual nonfiction for her memoir, Hunger) and eminent writer Edmund White, who won the Lambda visionary award.

— john timpane, Philly.com, "Two Philly writers win big at the Lambda Literary Awards," 5 June 2018
The prominent Native American writer also declined the Andrew Carnegie Medal for nonfiction — a prize valued at $5,000 — from the American Library Association for his upcoming memoir.

— yelena dzhanova, NBC News, "Sherman Alexie halts book release amid sexual harassment allegations," 12 Mar. 2018
His three nonfiction books also concern Philadelphia.

— john timpane, Philly.com, "Nathaniel Popkin is a Philly author with a rare double play - two new books at once," 11 July 2018
Paul Collins is the author of nine nonfiction books and chair of the English department at Portland State University.

— paul collins, BostonGlobe.com, "What lies in the lab: The gruesome murder at Harvard that transfixed New England," 11 July 2018
Although it was published only two years ago, Nguyen's nonfiction book is already considered by many to be one of the best about the Vietnam War.

— michael schaub, latimes.com, "Celebrate Independence Day with these 17 books by immigrant authors," 3 July 2018
The following is an excerpt from To the Bridge: A True Story of Motherhood and Murder, a new nonfiction book by author and journalist Nancy Rommelmann.

— nancy rommelmann, Good Housekeeping, "Amanda Stott-Smith Was a Loving Mother of 3. So Why Did She Try to Murder Her 2 Youngest Kids?," 29 June 2018
The second is a theatrical version of Barbara Ehrenreich’s nonfiction book, Nickeled and Dimed, an undercover sociological study of living and working on the U.S. minimum wage.

— nicole sperling, HWD, "The Filmmaker Who Discovered Jennifer Lawrence Has Found a New Star in Leave No Trace," 26 June 2018

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

First Known Use of nonfiction

1867

in the meaning defined above

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Other Literature Terms

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

NONFICTION Defined for English Language Learners

nonfiction

noun

Definition of nonfiction for English Language Learners

: writing that is about facts or real events : all writing that is not fiction

NONFICTION Defined for Kids

nonfiction

noun non·fic·tion \ ˈnän-ˈfik-shən \

Definition of nonfiction for Students

: writing that is about facts or real events

Learn More about nonfiction

See words that rhyme with nonfiction Spanish Central: Translation of nonfiction Nglish: Translation of nonfiction for Spanish speakers

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Definition of nonfiction

nonfictional

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NONFICTION Defined for English Language Learners

nonfiction

Definition of nonfiction for English Language Learners

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