fiction

noun

fic·​tion ˈfik-shən How to pronounce fiction (audio)
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
b
: fictitious literature (such as novels or short stories)
was renowned as a writer of fiction
c
: a work of fiction
especially : novel
Her latest work is a fiction set during the Civil War.
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 powerG. A. Wagner
3
: the action of feigning or of creating with the imagination
She engaged in fiction to escape painful realities.
fictionality noun

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 The Best Books of 2024 Illustration by Rose Wong Read our reviews of the year’s notable new fiction and nonfiction. Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2024 To capture market share, publishers emphasized lurid scandals and dangerously blurred fact and fiction. TIME, 18 Mar. 2024 Narrators earn $70 per 10,000 words of nonfiction and $90 for 10,000 words of fiction. Kathy Kristof, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Mar. 2024 Both the documentary and Farhadi’s fiction film share the same basic story of an inmate in debtors’ prison who, while on leave, finds a bag of gold coins and struggles with the decision to keep the money or return it. Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Mar. 2024 This kit explores robotic engineering, design, and robots in fiction. Julie Evans, Parents, 12 Mar. 2024 This sort of fiction needs characters with passion, curiosity, and doggedness—she’s dispensed with all three. Hillary Kelly, The Atlantic, 11 Mar. 2024 But as a work of dramatic fiction, 3 Body Problem never makes a compelling enough argument for why its central quintet would be invested in this — and, thus, why the audience should be. Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 9 Mar. 2024 This is hardly a novel technique, given the evolving hybridization of the documentary form, as filmmakers chase larger audiences with the narrative and aesthetic comforts of fiction. Guy Lodge, Variety, 6 Mar. 2024

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.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English ficcioun "invention of the mind," borrowed from Middle French fiction, borrowed from Latin fictiōn-, fictiō "action of shaping or molding, feigning, pretense, legal fiction," from fig-, variant stem of fingere "to mold, fashion, make a likeness of, pretend to be" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action — more at feign

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of fiction was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near fiction

Cite this Entry

“Fiction.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fiction. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

fiction

noun
fic·​tion ˈfik-shən How to pronounce fiction (audio)
1
: something told or written that is not fact
2
: a made-up story
fictional
-shnəl How to pronounce fiction (audio)
-shən-ᵊl
adjective
fictionally
-shnə-lē How to pronounce fiction (audio)
-shən-ᵊl-ē
adverb

Legal Definition

fiction

noun
fic·​tion
fictional adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on fiction

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