fiction

noun

fic·​tion ˈfik-shən 

1

a

: something invented by the imagination or feigned

specifically : an invented story

… I'd found out that the story of the ailing son was pure fiction.

—Andrew A. Rooney

b

: fictitious literature (such as novels or short stories)

was renowned as a writer of fiction

c

: a work of fiction

especially : novel

Her latest work is a fiction set during the Civil War.

2

a

: an assumption of a possibility as a fact irrespective of the question of its truth

a legal fiction

b

: a useful illusion or pretense

it was only a fiction of independence his mother gave him; he was almost totally under her power

—G. A. Wagner

3

: the action of feigning or of creating with the imagination

She engaged in fiction to escape painful realities.

fictionality

ˌfik-shə-ˈna-lə-tē 

noun

Synonyms

• fable
• fabrication
• fantasy
• phantasy
• figment
• invention

Examples of fiction in a Sentence

She believes the fiction that crime rates are up.

most stories about famous outlaws of the Old West are fictions that have little or nothing to do with fact

Recent Examples on the Web

Of course, fiction gives audiences permission to root for con men even when the crimes are serious. —Esther Zuckerman, Washington Post, 11 Apr. 2024

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy (HarperOne: $23) A modern fable explores life’s universal lessons. … Paperback fiction 1. —The California Independent Booksellers Alliance, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2024

Daily Our flagship newsletter highlights the best of The New Yorker, including top stories, fiction, humor, and podcasts. —Nick Paumgarten, The New Yorker, 9 Apr. 2024

Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games series jumpstarted dystopian youth fiction. —Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 6 Apr. 2024

Percival Everett has been writing fiction for over three decades, but his moment has finally arrived. —Peter C. Meilaender, National Review, 6 Apr. 2024

This week, Vogue spoke to Higgins about the process of crafting a three-person relationship in fiction, the hustle required to get her book into people’s hands, the contemporary writers who inspire her most, and more. —Emma Specter, Vogue, 5 Apr. 2024

Martin MacInnes’s novel In Ascension reveals the technical sophistication of the newest genre fiction. —The New York Review of Books, 29 Mar. 2024

Prosecutors assert that Biden’s argument is a fiction that ignores a clear fact: Trump is no longer president and Biden’s father oversees the Justice Department. —Matt Hamilton, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English ficcioun "invention of the mind," borrowed from Middle French fiction, borrowed from Latin fictiōn-, fictiō "action of shaping or molding, feigning, pretense, legal fiction," from fig-, variant stem of fingere "to mold, fashion, make a likeness of, pretend to be" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action — more at feign

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing fiction

• fact from fiction
• slash fiction
• science fiction
• fan fiction

Kids Definition

fiction

noun

fic·​tion ˈfik-shən 

1

: something told or written that is not fact

2

: a made-up story

fictional

-shnəl 

-shən-ᵊl

adjective

fictionally

-shnə-lē 

-shən-ᵊl-ē

adverb

Legal Definition

fiction

noun

fic·​tion

: legal fiction

fictional adjective