nonfictional

adjective

Definition of nonfictionalnext
as in historical
restricted to or based on fact a nonfictional account of a disastrous ascent of Mount Everest

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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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nonfictional
  1. historical
  2. factual
  3. documentary
  4. literal
Adjective
  • The beauty lies in part to its gothic Ford Complex — funded by Henry Ford and his wife — and the many historical buildings that wound up earning it a place on the National Register of Historic Places.
    — Carson Bonner, AJC.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • After all, household debt balances are elevated, borrowing costs are still expensive by historical standards and inflation is driving up the costs of just about everything, adding pressure to borrowers' budgets.
    — Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of historical
Adjective
  • The lawsuits involve separate banks, account agreements and factual allegations.
    — Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 5 Aug. 2026
  • In January, the bank asked the judge to throw out Arbuckle’s claims, arguing that evidence exchanged by both sides showed no key factual disputes requiring a jury to resolve.
    — Chase Jordan July 30, Charlotte Observer, 30 July 2026
Definition of factual
Adjective
  • Our waiter, Juan, was – as all servers at Papi Steak are – quick to illuminate the kaleidoscopic dish with a pocket flashlight, apparently for documentary purposes.
    — Connie Ogle July 31, Miami Herald, 31 July 2026
  • The driver brings the baby to friends partying in a night club; his quandary yields existential debate in a police station, a portrait of a courthouse’s bureaucratic frenzy, and a heartrending documentary vision of an orphanage.
    — Rhoda Feng, New Yorker, 31 July 2026
Definition of documentary
Adjective
  • Smoke and its literal chokehold on air quality continue to be the most widespread impact of the ongoing fires.
    — Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The film takes cannibalism – rarely broached in Malaysian popular cinema – as both literal premise and social metaphor, training its lens on characters pushed to extremes by poverty and ambition.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of literal

Browse Nearby Words

nonfeasance
nonfictional
nonfigurative
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Nonfictional.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nonfictional. Accessed 10 Aug. 2026.

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