Synonyms of fictional

fictional

adjective

ˈfik-shnəl 

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• fictitious
• imaginary
• mythical
• imagined
• fantasied
• imaginal
• ideal
• invented
• phantom
• make-believe
• unreal
• fanciful
• theoretical
• chimerical
• fantastic
• phantasmal
• notional
• legendary
• made-up
• romantic
• hypothetical
• pretend
• fabulous
• phantasmic
• visionary
• unlikely
• fabled
• abstract
• fictive
• deceptive
• unbelievable
• unconvincing
• illusory
• envisioned
• visualized
• hallucinatory
• phantasmagoric
• conceived
• pictured
• nonexistent
• delusional
• delusive
• fabricated
• envisaged
• concocted
• daydreamlike
• feigned
• inexistent

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• actual
• real
• existing
• true
• authentic
• genuine
• existent
• factual
• realistic
• physical
• verifiable
• convincing
• believable
• substantial
• solid
• corporeal
• material
• tangible
• verified
• palpable

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of fictional

This is apropos of nothing except the success of the tragedy in Angel, and the way grief—even fictional grief—can linger. — Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 18 Aug. 2026

What might otherwise look like a routine character meet-and-greet has sparked a very different reaction online, with social media users questioning whether her decade-long fandom of a fictional character crosses a boundary. — Alexis Mikulski Ruiz, Rolling Stone, 18 Aug. 2026

As women’s rights erode across the globe, femgore offers writers and readers alike a safe, fictional place to explore our fear and our fury. — S.m. Hallow, PEOPLE, 18 Aug. 2026

This is the fictional world of the British espionage series Slow Horses (2022– ), based on novelist Mick Herron’s Slough House series and streamed on Apple TV. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 17 Aug. 2026