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
Andrew A. Rooney
b
: fictitious literature (such as novels or short stories)
was renowned as a writer of fiction
c
: a work of fiction
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
G. A. Wagner3
: the action of feigning or of creating with the imagination
She engaged in fiction to escape painful realities.
Synonyms
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
Within that, there are 13 first-time fiction feature directors, 16 first-time feature documentary directors, 11 first-time writers, and 19 breakthrough producers.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 18 Oct. 2024
Upham enjoys teaching cycling classes, running, reading fiction, and making playlists.
—Becky Upham, EverydayHealth.com, 18 Oct. 2024
The authors of these books in many cases spent years collecting details to bring their characters to life on the page to a degree typically reserved for fiction.
—Jared Sullivan, The Atlantic, 17 Oct. 2024
Fortunately, this left room for an arguably better adaptation of Clive Barker's fiction: Candyman, a film that expertly blends uncomfortable (but necessary) conversations about race in America with scream-out-loud scenes that helped cement Tony Todd as one of horror's greatest actors.
—EW.com, 17 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for fiction 
Zac Ntim, Deadline, 18 Oct. 2024
Upham enjoys teaching cycling classes, running, reading fiction, and making playlists.
—Becky Upham, EverydayHealth.com, 18 Oct. 2024
The authors of these books in many cases spent years collecting details to bring their characters to life on the page to a degree typically reserved for fiction.
—Jared Sullivan, The Atlantic, 17 Oct. 2024
Fortunately, this left room for an arguably better adaptation of Clive Barker's fiction: Candyman, a film that expertly blends uncomfortable (but necessary) conversations about race in America with scream-out-loud scenes that helped cement Tony Todd as one of horror's greatest actors.
—EW.com, 17 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for fiction
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fiction.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near fiction
Cite this Entry
“Fiction.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fiction. Accessed 30 Oct. 2024.
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