fictional

adjective

fic·​tion·​al ˈfik-sh(ə-)nəl How to pronounce fictional (audio)
: 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
There 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
Besides scholarly writings and cultural criticism, he's turned out a fictional mystery series starring Edgar Allan Poe …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.

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
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.
The 40-year-old Canadian actor, who saw earlier success on the CBS medical drama Code Black, eventually found his home on the Netflix series, which follows relationships, drama and romance in Virgin River, a fictional small town in Northern California. Carly Thomas, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Dec. 2024 This reps Knox’s first appearance in a fictional television series. Matt Minton, Variety, 19 Dec. 2024 The fictional community is said to have a population of about 600 people, but just 120 chairs were purchased for the ceremony, according to Tony Devenyi, the show’s production designer. Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times, 19 Dec. 2024 Both my fictional White House staff and the viewing public recognized at the time that this was not President Bartlet’s finest hour. Martin Sheen, TIME, 19 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for fictional 

Word History

First Known Use

1834, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fictional was in 1834

Dictionary Entries Near fictional

Cite this Entry

“Fictional.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fictional. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on fictional

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!