fictitious

adjective

fic·​ti·​tious fik-ˈti-shəs 

1

: of, relating to, or characteristic of fiction : imaginary

fictitious events described in his novel

2

a

: conventionally or hypothetically assumed or accepted

a fictitious concept

b

of a name : false, assumed

3

: not genuinely felt

fictitiously adverb

fictitiousness noun

Did you know?

Fictitious is related to the Medieval Latin word fictīcius, meaning "artificial," "imaginary," "feigned," or "fraudulent." It was first used in English as an antonym for natural. For instance, a fake diamond would be referred to as a fictitious one. This use indicates the word's deeper Latin roots: fictīcius is from the Latin verb fingere, meaning "to mold, fashion, make a likeness of; pretend to be." Nowadays, fictitious is no longer used for physical things shaped by the human hand. Rather, it is typically used for imaginative creations or for feigned emotions.

Synonyms

• chimerical
• chimeric
• fabulous
• fanciful
• fantasied
• fantastic
• fantastical
• fictional
• ideal
• imaginal
• imaginary
• imagined
• invented
• made-up
• make-believe
• mythical
• mythic
• notional
• phantasmal
• phantasmic
• phantom
• pretend
• unreal
• visionary

Choose the Right Synonym for fictitious

fictitious, fabulous, legendary, mythical, apocryphal mean having the nature of something imagined or invented.

fictitious implies fabrication and suggests artificiality or contrivance more than deliberate falsification or deception.

fictitious characters

fabulous stresses the marvelous or incredible character of something without necessarily implying impossibility or actual nonexistence.

a land of fabulous riches

legendary suggests the elaboration of invented details and distortion of historical facts produced by popular tradition.

the legendary exploits of Davy Crockett

mythical implies a purely fanciful explanation of facts or the creation of beings and events out of the imagination.

mythical creatures

apocryphal implies an unknown or dubious source or origin or may imply that the thing itself is dubious or inaccurate.

a book that repeats many apocryphal stories

Examples of fictitious in a Sentence

The characters in the book are all fictitious.

She gave a fictitious address on the application.

Recent Examples on the Web

It’s been a full decade since Poot Lovato had her last taste of freedom — and according to Demi Lovato, the hilarious, fictitious alter ego is staying locked up for many decades more. —Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 22 Apr. 2025

Officers of the court have a duty of candor to the court and an obligation not to file fictitious lawsuits that have no basis in fact or law. —Dominic Patten, Deadline, 21 Apr. 2025

Rather than a supernatural force to contend with, there are other external, less fictitious opponents at play. —Diego Argüello, Rolling Stone, 19 Apr. 2025

Amid the audience laughter at a lecture, U.S. Navy oceanographer Robert Ballard bit his tongue and told the questioner the jewelry was fictitious. —Terry Collins, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Medieval Latin fictīcius "artificial, imaginary, feigned, fraudulent," going back to Latin, "artificial, not natural," from fictus, past participle of fingere "to mold, fashion, make a likeness of, pretend to be" + -īcius -itious — more at feign

First Known Use

circa 1633, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for fictitious

• adventitious
• cementitious
• expeditious
• inauspicious
• injudicious
• meretricious
• repetitious
• superstitious
• surreptitious
• unambitious
• unpropitious
• unsuspicious

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Kids Definition

fictitious

adjective

fic·​ti·​tious fik-ˈtish-əs 

: not real : made-up, imaginary

fictitiously adverb

fictitiousness noun

Legal Definition

fictitious

adjective

fic·​ti·​tious

1

: of, relating to, or characteristic of a legal fiction

2

: false

fictitiously adverb

fictitiousness noun