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

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

ˈfik-sh(ə-)nəl-ē 

adverb

… a film that documents the history of space science and fictionally portrays a journey to the moon …

—Lynn Baker et al.

Synonyms

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

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

In this mostly fictional version, the reclusive Omara has to decide whether or not to come back from retirement and record with her old colleagues from the fervent Cuban years, thus confronting those ghosts. —Chris Jones, New York Daily News, 20 Mar. 2025

There is no Eleven, Mike, Dustin, Lucas, Hopper, Joyce, or the rest of the residents of the fictional Hawkins, Indiana. —Marc Berman, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025

Shows about Hollywood feel in vogue, with Seth Rogen’s Apple TV+ series The Studio about the fictional head of a big American player set to launch in a week. —Max Goldbart, Deadline, 19 Mar. 2025

Here are our 25 favorite pairs of fictional best friends from movies and TV. —Kevin Jacobsen, EW.com, 19 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1834, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for fictional

• frictional
• jurisdictional