FICTIONAL Synonyms: 73 Similar and Opposite Words

fictional

adjective

ˈfik-shnəl

Definition of fictional

as in fictitious

not real and existing only in the imagination the events in the horror movie seemed so real to some fans that they could not believe that the whole thing was fictional

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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 fictional Cregger’s take is not a direct game adaptation, but an original story with original characters set in the same fictional universe. — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 22 Sep. 2026 Commissioner Keon Hardemon, whose district includes the Kaseya Center, urged his fellow board members not to be too harsh on the Grand Theft Auto depictions of violence, saying those are the result of players making decisions to do fictional harm. — Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 22 Sep. 2026 The first version is a compact novel-within-a-novel in which this fictional couple is further fictionalized, to an uncertain degree but scandalous effect. — Kathryn Schulz, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026 The series starred three best friends played by JoAnna Garcia Swisher, Brooke Elliott and Heather Headley in the small fictional town of Serenity where their weekly margarita nights became a signature of the show. — Rodney Ho, AJC.com, 21 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for fictional

Recent Examples of Synonyms for fictional

Adjective

As the puzzle pieces shift slowly into place, these revelations are jaw-dropping (once again, in their highly fictitious context), leading to a journalistic urgency.

— Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 20 Sep. 2026
Despite its admittedly fictitious origins, Juliet’s House is one of the most popular sites in Verona.

— Lilit Marcus, CNN Money, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of fictitious

Adjective

In that dialogue, Endymion, the mythical shepherd, is imprisoned in an eternal sleep by Artemis and accosts a stranger who is on his way to Mount Latmus, where Endymion repairs each night to wait for Artemis.

— Max Norman, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026
Over the past few decades, Bimota has reached an almost mythical status in the motorcycle community.

— Michael Van Runkle, Robb Report, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of mythical

Adjective

The production was full of nostalgia for an imagined past when the small screen was more ascendant and apolitical, with tributes to Charlie’s Angels and Dolly Parton shirking any embrace of the form’s progressive history.

— Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2026
The summer before, so many Black men and Black children and Black women had been murdered for the most meager of real or imagined offenses.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of imagined

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fiction

fictional

fictionalized

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“Fictional.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fictional. Accessed 27 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of fictional

adjective

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