nonfactual

adjective

Definition of nonfactualnext
as in fictional

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

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 nonfactual The Erik Wemple Blog asked the Times for another example of an editor’s note apologizing for nonfactual issues. — Erik Wemple, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2022 Yankovic, who wrote the film with its director Eric Appel, noted that the intention is to be satirical and nonfactual. — Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 8 Sep. 2022 And many of my mainstream-media colleagues can accept the majority of accountability for this tragic development through biased, nonfactual and incomplete reporting that has pretty much degenerated into talking heads venting their specific agendas. — Mike Masterson, Arkansas Online, 27 Dec. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nonfactual
  1. fictional
  2. speculative
  3. fictitious
  4. unhistorical
  5. hypothetical
  6. nonhistorical
  7. fictionalized
  8. theoretical
Adjective
  • Anything seemed possible in medical science breakthroughs, from repairing a fictional astronaut to reconstructing a real-life ulnar collateral ligament (UCL).
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The fictional microstate Elgaland-Vargaland begins as an artistic game but evolves into a powerful lens on borders and identity.
    — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of fictional
Adjective
  • Her work often blends documentary research with speculative fiction to explore technology, institutions, and cultural memory.
    — Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Many millennial and Gen Z collectors also view collector cars as speculative trades rather than long-term stores of value.
    — Robert Frank, CNBC, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of speculative
Adjective
  • The undercover analyst noted in a message that his fictitious 4-year-old brother would be home the next day, when the Perez meeting was expected.
    — Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Final testing relied on fictitious data instead of the real records of millions of residents.
    — Komal Goyal, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of fictitious
Adjective
  • In the 21st century, however, historians mistook the code word for a code name and gave the pretexts their unhistorical handle.
    — Ken Hughes, The Conversation, 24 Nov. 2025
  • Saying that ending our 43-year involvement [with] the EU is somehow going to fundamentally change this deep relationship between our two countries is completely unhistorical.
    — Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs, 10 July 2016
Definition of unhistorical
Adjective
  • In a hypothetical head-to-head matchup as seen in a survey from the University of North Florida, Donalds is leading Jolly by 5 points.
    — David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Senhu Wang and Heejung Chung found that managers rate remote workers worse on commitment, productivity, team spirit and promotion opportunities, even when the hypothetical employees worked remotely only two to three days per week.
    — Gleb Tsipursky, Washington Post, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of hypothetical
Adjective
  • The closest nonhistorical portrayals to Washington’s role among recent winners are probably Matthew McConaughey in Dallas Buyers Club and Jeff Bridges in Crazy Heart.
    — Jeremy Harriot, The Root, 3 Mar. 2018
Definition of nonhistorical
Adjective
  • Set in New York City during the Gilded Age, The Witch of Wall Street is a fictionalized account of the life of Hetty Green, the city’s richest woman at the time.
    — Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 10 July 2026
  • The series follows a fictionalized version of the Westies, a small Irish-American gang in the mid- to late-20th century whose ruthlessness and brutality gave them an outsized reputation.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 2 July 2026
Definition of fictionalized
Adjective
  • The Virgo Moon moves through your 2nd House of Resources, making spending, pricing, comfort, and self-worth feel more practical than theoretical.
    — Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The public comments came shortly after Fauci had privately raised the theoretical possibility that fever and cytokine-related reactions after a second vaccine dose could be associated with first-trimester miscarriage.
    — Sophia Compton, FOXNews.com, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of theoretical

Browse Nearby Words

nonextant
nonfactual
nonfamilial
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Nonfactual.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nonfactual. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of divulge

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All