factitious

adjective

fak-ˈti-shəs How to pronounce factitious (audio)
Definition of factitiousnext
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 false
lacking in natural or spontaneous quality the factitious friendliness shown by the beauty-pageant contestants to one another

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
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 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 Amidst this sad and factitious disorder what became clear was that political agendas were once again trumping facts. — Amir Husain, Forbes, 4 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
  1. synthetic
  2. false
  3. faux
  4. mock
  5. artificial
  6. unnatural
  7. fake
  8. strained
Adjective
  • Feathers, synthetic hair and translucent organza were worked into exaggerated silhouettes, alongside insect-like décolletés, feline pantaboots, moss-green leather and cheetah-print effects.
    — Amy Francombe, Vogue, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The exterior of the sculpture is adorned with synthetic braids, a fundamental material with Peacock, for whom braiding is a metaphor for relation, an embrace, irreducible intimacy.
    — Jane Bua, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of synthetic
Adjective
  • Some defendants face additional allegations involving false claims of citizenship or fraudulent statements that rest on separate federal statutes.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Those numbers include 759 false identification cards confiscated, 378 alcohol-possession-by-a-minor violations and 98 fake-ID citations during the calendar-year reporting period, according to Oxford Police.
    — Kelsie Cairns, FOXNews.com, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of false
Adjective
  • Experts called plumassiers, or feather specialists, would often collaborate with fashion houses and incorporate feathers, both faux and real, into designs for couture and ready-to-wear collections.
    — Julia Teti, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The ground floor features an 18-seat bar with a rum wall backsplash, carved Moai heads and high-tops that spill out to a lush faux-grass courtyard framed in palm trees and tiki-totem pillars.
    — Phillip Valys, Sun Sentinel, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of faux
Adjective
  • Carson and Guillermo stepped onto the dance floor with sunglasses and A-list celebrity swagger as flashes from mock photographers filled the introduction.
    — Michael Saponara, Billboard, 7 Oct. 2026
  • In another thread, Strong’s Zuckerberg twitches with irritation through mock congressional hearings, with a PR team headed by crisis management specialist Raya (Wunmi Mosaku), whose task is to make the Facebook CEO likable.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of mock
Adjective
  • The series also leans on some corny, dad-style humor that further underscores its artificial nature.
    — Britta Miller, The Washington Examiner, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The authors believe their own work will eventually find similar medical and microfluidic applications, such as for artificial pumps.
    — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of artificial
Adjective
  • That amounts to unchecked growth resulting in relatively dense stands, which are unnatural for this part of the country — despite becoming a familiar sight to Coloradans over the last few decades.
    — John Wenzel, Denver Post, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The California Department of Public Health said animals with rabies will often have strange or unnatural behavior.
    — Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of unnatural
Adjective
  • The fake blooms lined the sweeping curves that curled across the arena floor.
    — Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Chastain goes for broke with melodrama as both the real and fake Mommies.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of fake
Adjective
  • Raman’s tendency to rethink her policy decisions has also contributed to her strained relations with her council colleagues, nearly all of whom are backing the mayor’s reelection bid.
    — David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026
  • French bond woes Yields on French government bonds have surged to multiyear highs in recent days, as the country's mounting debt crisis fuels wider concerns about Europe's strained public finances.
    — Hugh Leask, CNBC, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of strained

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factious
factitious
factoid
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Cite this Entry

“Factitious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/factitious. Accessed 15 Oct. 2026.

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