as in historical
restricted to or based on fact
a nonfictional account of a disastrous ascent of Mount Everest
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Recent Examples of nonfictional
Pee-Wee as Himself, the 2025 Emmy award winner for best documentary or nonfictional special, is also among the nominees.
—
Brande Victorian, HollywoodReporter, 7 Apr. 2026
That delirious excess befits the essence of Lapid’s method, which is a fusion of fiction with indigestibly and irreducibly nonfictional elements.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2026
The days at the fictional Oak Canyon Ranch Retreat in the nonfictional Agoura Hills are loaded with incident — the retreat itself is essentially sleepaway camp, including pool time, games, a cookout, a talent show — and disasters.
—Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2026
Significant experiment The effort is part of the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment, a nonfictional experiment with detectors that will be immersed in huge baths of cryogenic liquid argon, which is going the opposite direction — down.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 15 Jan. 2026
But what was more interesting to me are those who aren’t fantasizing about being in a fictional world, but who are fantasizing about being a different reader, in a more secure nonfictional world.
—James Folta, Literary Hub, 13 Jan. 2026
Recently, this sacrament has garnered nonfictional attention.
—Timothy Gabrielli, The Conversation, 25 Aug. 2025
Brande Victorian, HollywoodReporter, 7 Apr. 2026
That delirious excess befits the essence of Lapid’s method, which is a fusion of fiction with indigestibly and irreducibly nonfictional elements.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2026
The days at the fictional Oak Canyon Ranch Retreat in the nonfictional Agoura Hills are loaded with incident — the retreat itself is essentially sleepaway camp, including pool time, games, a cookout, a talent show — and disasters.
—Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2026
Significant experiment The effort is part of the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment, a nonfictional experiment with detectors that will be immersed in huge baths of cryogenic liquid argon, which is going the opposite direction — down.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 15 Jan. 2026
But what was more interesting to me are those who aren’t fantasizing about being in a fictional world, but who are fantasizing about being a different reader, in a more secure nonfictional world.
—James Folta, Literary Hub, 13 Jan. 2026
Recently, this sacrament has garnered nonfictional attention.
—Timothy Gabrielli, The Conversation, 25 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nonfictional
Adjective
-
As opposed to tragedy’s narrative arc of historical fate, tragicomedy unfolds in an infinite present.—
Eugenie Brinkema,
ARTnews.com,
14 June 2026
-
Liberal clergy abandoned certain tenets of Christian orthodoxy—the Virgin Birth, Christ’s miracles—for a more literary and historical approach to the Bible.—
Michael Luo,
New Yorker,
14 June 2026
Adjective
-
Every few weeks, there's a new article based on a new theory with little to no factual basis.—
James Hill,
ABC News,
6 June 2026
-
In total, Kapoor received more than $6 million of illicit income from Location Ventures and its projects between 2018 and 2023, according to a factual statement filed with his plea agreement.—
Jay Weaver
June 6,
Miami Herald,
6 June 2026
Adjective
-
Produced by Heavy Lifting Productions in association with 3 Arts Entertainment, Knighted follows a missing person’s case that spirals into an absurd documentary-style exploration of the sinister secrets lurking beneath the enchanting pageantry of a local medieval dinner theatre.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
11 June 2026
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Michael Gallagher, who has a following on YouTube, shot it in a documentary-like style, with eerie re-creations of Applewhite’s space-cadet videos, and the drama is rigorous and voyeuristic in a fascinating way.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
Honey scent in perfumery rarely smells like a literal jar of honey.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Sacbee.com,
12 June 2026
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The title is a humorous, literal reference to the late father’s large piece of bone left after cremation.—
Jenny S. Li,
Variety,
12 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nonfictional.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nonfictional. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
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