Synonym Chooser

How is the word fictitious distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of fictitious are apocryphal, fabulous, legendary, and mythical. While all these words mean "having the nature of something imagined or invented," fictitious implies fabrication and suggests artificiality or contrivance more than deliberate falsification or deception.

fictitious characters

When would apocryphal be a good substitute for fictitious?

The words apocryphal and fictitious are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, apocryphal implies an unknown or dubious source or origin or may imply that the thing itself is dubious or inaccurate.

a book that repeats many apocryphal stories

Where would fabulous be a reasonable alternative to fictitious?

The synonyms fabulous and fictitious are sometimes interchangeable, but fabulous stresses the marvelous or incredible character of something without necessarily implying impossibility or actual nonexistence.

a land of fabulous riches

In what contexts can legendary take the place of fictitious?

Although the words legendary and fictitious have much in common, legendary suggests the elaboration of invented details and distortion of historical facts produced by popular tradition.

the legendary exploits of Davy Crockett

When can mythical be used instead of fictitious?

While in some cases nearly identical to fictitious, mythical implies a purely fanciful explanation of facts or the creation of beings and events out of the imagination.

mythical creatures

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 fictitious Additionally, the Broadway play Ain’t No Mo, on which Hillman Grad, named after the fictitious historically Black college, served as producer, was nominated for Best Play at the 2023 Tony Awards. Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 18 June 2025 In the film, a massive great white shark hunts people swimming in the water surrounding the fictitious Amity Island. Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 13 June 2025 Ever since Max began streaming the drama about life in a fictitious Pittsburgh emergency room, it’s been one pinch-me moment after another for Wyle and his fellow executive producers John Wells and R. Scott Gemmill. Lynette Rice, Deadline, 12 June 2025 Yet, planting real or fictitious employees is also a real challenge, especially from cash-desperate regimes. Noah Barsky, Forbes.com, 11 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for fictitious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fictitious
Adjective
  • In the book, five strangers – a white American geographer, a South Sudanese translator, a northern Sudanese cook, a Sudanese-American filmmaker, and a local boy – find themselves at an NGO compound in the fictional town of Saraaya, on the border of Sudan and South Sudan.
    Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 23 June 2025
  • The fictional town of Havenport was filmed in Wilmington, NC, and nearby Southport, NC.
    Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
Adjective
  • Since its inception, astronomers had busied themselves tracking the apparent movements of the stars, moon and planets relative to an imaginary line running north to south through the observatory, known as a 'meridian'.
    Anthony Wood, Space.com, 22 June 2025
  • Some will retreat from public life, spurning those closest to them in favor of an imaginary narrative woven with these programs.
    Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 22 June 2025
Adjective
  • Even with the security, though, collectors and fans are able to get up close to items that may have previously seemed mythical.
    Larry Holder, New York Times, 21 June 2025
  • The electric Nebraska has become a mythical object for Springsteen fans over the years, and there’s been a lot of evidence suggesting the tapes do exist.
    Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 19 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Fictitious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fictitious. Accessed 6 Jul. 2025.

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