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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Recent Examples of fictional
In the film, Ejae, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami are the singing voices of fictional K-pop girl group Huntr/x, performing the roles of Rumi, Mira, and Zoey respectively.
—
Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 9 Jan. 2026
The show follows frontline workers at the fictional Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center, with each episode covering an hour of an emergency room shift.
—Madeline Bartos, CBS News, 8 Jan. 2026
The Connecticut governor who served the shortest time was Hiram Bingham III, a remarkable figure who might have served as inspiration for the fictional Indiana Jones.
—Stephen Busemeyer, Hartford Courant, 5 Jan. 2026
How does your experience of coming out as a young adult under the spotlight parallel the fears Will feels in this fictional world populated by monsters?
—Senior Television, Los Angeles Times, 1 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fictional
Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 9 Jan. 2026
The show follows frontline workers at the fictional Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center, with each episode covering an hour of an emergency room shift.
—Madeline Bartos, CBS News, 8 Jan. 2026
The Connecticut governor who served the shortest time was Hiram Bingham III, a remarkable figure who might have served as inspiration for the fictional Indiana Jones.
—Stephen Busemeyer, Hartford Courant, 5 Jan. 2026
How does your experience of coming out as a young adult under the spotlight parallel the fears Will feels in this fictional world populated by monsters?
—Senior Television, Los Angeles Times, 1 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fictional
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fictional
Adjective
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Anyone who’s survived to 2026 knows the upper class’ fictitious fantasies still carry real, wretched consequences for the rest of us, but Season 4 plays out those ongoing scenarios to the nth degree, while condensing them into an appreciable narrative arc.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
11 Jan. 2026
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The series, which premiered on Netflix at the end of 2024, tells the story of the Buendía family over multiple generations and is set in the fictitious town of Macondo, Colombia, which the family founded.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
2 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Under the noonday sun while fishing, or stealing light from the full moon, the point of his pencil traced the imaginary movements of the washers, threads, coil springs, cylinders, bolts, and screws that had long enriched the workings of his mind.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 Jan. 2026
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Torgashev dropped an imaginary microphone for his ending pose, then doubled over before dropping to a knee as the crowd rose to its feet.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The veil seamlessly transitions into sculptural braids, and the almost mythical look was topped off with perfectly clear glass tips over her natural nails.—
Marci Robin,
Allure,
12 Jan. 2026
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The name Siren's Curse comes from the mythical sirens who reside in Lake Erie and lure sailors with their singing.—
Chad Murphy,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
12 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Taken together, the books on this list show narrators real and imagined grappling with some of life’s greatest challenges, and nevertheless surviving—as timely and valuable a message as readers can ask for.—
Lucy Feldman,
Time,
9 Dec. 2025
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Prompted by Einstein, the noncompliant witnesses in the 1950s reshaped the public discussion, refocusing the conversation on the importance of freedom of expression rather than the fears of imagined communist infiltration.—
Jodie Childers,
The Conversation,
20 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fictional.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fictional. Accessed 16 Jan. 2026.
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