metafiction

noun

meta·​fic·​tion ˌme-tə-ˈfik-shən How to pronounce metafiction (audio)
: fiction which refers to or takes as its subject fictional writing and its conventions
metafictional adjective
metafictionist noun

Examples of metafiction in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Timothy Olyphant and Brad Pitt are great leaners; Tom Cruise’s running form is famous; Julia Roberts’s toothy smile is a multigenre asset across rom-coms, metafiction, and populist thrillers. Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 25 June 2024 But in Night Springs, the metafiction often felt more like a gimmick. G Kirilloff, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024 Portuguese filmmakers of the post-democracy era advanced the forms of docufiction and metafiction to confront a new era’s injustices and the traumas of history. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2024 Even his nods to metafiction, a genre known for playing with form and defying traditions, feel pat. Stephen Kearse, Washington Post, 17 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for metafiction 

Word History

Etymology

meta- + fiction

First Known Use

1960, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of metafiction was in 1960

Dictionary Entries Near metafiction

Cite this Entry

“Metafiction.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/metafiction. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!