fictional
adjective
fic·tion·al
ˈfik-sh(ə-)nəl 
: of, relating to, characterized by, or occurring in fiction : invented by the imagination
a fictional story/character
fictional dialogue
Over the past 15 years, Noble has created a fantastical, awe-inspiring fictional city called Nobson Newtown, which he renders in painstakingly detailed pencil drawings …—
Steve Rose
Steve RoseThere are several surprises about stories. The first is that we spend a great deal of time in fictional worlds, whether in daydreams, novels, confabulations or life narratives. When all is tallied up, the decades we spend in the realm of fantasy outstrip the time we spend in the real world.—David Eagleman
David EaglemanBesides scholarly writings and cultural criticism, he's turned out a fictional mystery series starring Edgar Allan Poe …—Edward Lewine
Edward Lewine
fictionally
adverb
… a film that documents the history of space science and fictionally portrays a journey to the moon …
—Lynn Baker et al.
Lynn Baker et al.
Examples of fictional in a Sentence
the events in the horror movie seemed so real to some fans that they could not believe that the whole thing was fictional
Recent Examples on the Web
The Hollywood Reporter can reveal that, under the multiyear deal, IMG Licensing will develop and manage a robust licensing program spanning Maas’s entire fictional universe with the aim of creating new touchpoints for her fervid fan base.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 23 June 2025
In experiments set up to leave AI models few options and stress-test alignment, top systems from OpenAI, Google, and others frequently resorted to blackmail—and in an extreme case, even allowed fictional deaths—to protect their interests.
—Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 23 June 2025
The fictional town of Havenport was filmed in Wilmington, NC, and nearby Southport, NC.
—Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
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
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Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 23 June 2025
In experiments set up to leave AI models few options and stress-test alignment, top systems from OpenAI, Google, and others frequently resorted to blackmail—and in an extreme case, even allowed fictional deaths—to protect their interests.
—Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 23 June 2025
The fictional town of Havenport was filmed in Wilmington, NC, and nearby Southport, NC.
—Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for fictional
Cite this Entry
“Fictional.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fictional. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
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