nonfiction

noun

non·​fic·​tion ˌnän-ˈfik-shən How to pronounce nonfiction (audio)
: writing or cinema that is about facts and real events
He prefers to read nonfiction rather than novels.
nonfictional
ˌnän-ˈfik-shnəl How to pronounce nonfiction (audio)
-shə-nᵊl
adjective

Examples of nonfiction in a Sentence

He reads a lot of nonfiction.
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.
Then came publishers like Bibi Bakare-Yusuf, who started Cassava Republic Press in Nigeria and began publishing African fiction and nonfiction and promoting locally the African writers who had gained acclaim in the West. Abdi Latif Dahir, New York Times, 19 Jan. 2025 For example, Microsoft has a deal to use nonfiction works published by HarperCollins for AI model training. Chloe Veltman, NPR, 17 Jan. 2025 The film was nominated for three Primetime Emmys last year, including outstanding documentary or nonfiction special, and is currently nominated for a Grammy for best music film. Paul Grein, Billboard, 16 Jan. 2025 The Writers Guild East, which has been organizing nonfiction shops for over a decade, has recently stepped up its efforts with successful drives at Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. producer McGee Media and Summer of Soul producer RadicalMedia. Katie Kilkenny, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for nonfiction 

Word History

First Known Use

1867, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of nonfiction was in 1867

Dictionary Entries Near nonfiction

Cite this Entry

“Nonfiction.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nonfiction. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

nonfiction

noun
non·​fic·​tion ˈnän-ˈfik-shən How to pronounce nonfiction (audio)
: literature or cinema that is not fictional
nonfictional adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on nonfiction

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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