1
as in synthetic
being such in appearance only and made with or manufactured from usually cheaper materials
presumably the statue is of factitious marble, because for that price you're not going to get the real stuff
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in unnatural
lacking in natural or spontaneous quality
the factitious friendliness shown by the beauty-pageant contestants to one another
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Recent Examples of factitious
Another was shorting Valeant, the high-flyer with factitious revenue growth.
—
William Baldwin, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025
With this announcement, factitious (in my opinion) concerns about Amazon being behind in GenAI will be reduced big time.
—Sandy Carter, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024
This is a useful inquiry, because we in the modern world are inundated by manipulated or factitious statistics, fabricated by marketers and politicians, promoted on social media and swallowed whole by news organizations.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 14 Dec. 2023
Their connection to these was as factitious as their previous link to toothpaste.
—David Mamet, National Review, 31 Mar. 2022
Marc Feldman, the American psychiatrist who popularized the term Munchausen by internet, has noticed that most of the cases of factitious disorder that come to his attention involve women.
—Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 16 Mar. 2021
Almanacs aren’t always — and haven’t always been — so fastidiously factitious.
—Mark Athitakis, Washington Post, 24 Nov. 2020
William Baldwin, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025
With this announcement, factitious (in my opinion) concerns about Amazon being behind in GenAI will be reduced big time.
—Sandy Carter, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024
This is a useful inquiry, because we in the modern world are inundated by manipulated or factitious statistics, fabricated by marketers and politicians, promoted on social media and swallowed whole by news organizations.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 14 Dec. 2023
Their connection to these was as factitious as their previous link to toothpaste.
—David Mamet, National Review, 31 Mar. 2022
Marc Feldman, the American psychiatrist who popularized the term Munchausen by internet, has noticed that most of the cases of factitious disorder that come to his attention involve women.
—Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 16 Mar. 2021
Almanacs aren’t always — and haven’t always been — so fastidiously factitious.
—Mark Athitakis, Washington Post, 24 Nov. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for factitious
Adjective
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The drugs included protonitazene and metonitazene, two synthetic opioids with respective potencies of 100 and 200 times more powerful than morphine, court documents say.—
David Ferrara,
The Enquirer,
4 Sep. 2025
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By transforming ethanol into synthetic oils that can serve as HEFA feedstocks, the company’s technology could diversify and strengthen SAF production.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
In its world premiere, SECOND NATURE challenges the notion that queerness is unnatural, by turning to nature itself — and the science that dismantles the myth of the gender binary.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Stories abound in folklore of the unnatural taking the place of the natural.—
Adam Verner
September 3,
Literary Hub,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Subtle bits of faux wheat give it additional texture, and there’s an attached loop in the back for easy hanging.—
Shea Simmons,
Southern Living,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Pair the duo with fairy lights, a thin linen runner, and more faux foliage to create a stunning seasonal scene.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Representatives for James have called the fraud claims made against her politically motivated and false.—
Robert Faturechi,
ProPublica,
6 Sep. 2025
-
On the next play, Taylor was called for a false-start penalty.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Just a straight, artificial line.—
Jillian Sederholm,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 Sep. 2025
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On Wall Street, Friday’s heaviest weight on the stock market was Nvidia, the chip company that’s become the face of the artificial-intelligence boom.—
Stan Choe,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The conversations, of course, were mock for journalistic purposes.—
Alyssa Goldberg,
USA Today,
4 Sep. 2025
-
The piping adds an athletic flair to the mock-neck sweater and sweatpant set, and small slits on the front of the hems add extra interest.—
Olivia Young,
Travel + Leisure,
1 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The Federal Trade Commission issued an alert earlier in 2025 to encourage parents to talk to their children about the risks associated with responding to a fake text.—
Susan Tompor,
USA Today,
7 Sep. 2025
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To make Reen feel comfortable and truly welcomed, Long’s entire extended family wore fake tattoo sleeves to the reunion.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Though the former couple remained close in the years after their separation, their relationship allegedly became strained when Simon stopped paying for their children’s school and medical fees following a change on his tax return.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
9 Sep. 2025
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In contrast to Bella’s strained relationship with Coverley, her bond with her father was effortless.—
Rebecca Mead,
New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Factitious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/factitious. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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