fictional
fictional Lexical Profile
fictional Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Invented for the purposes of an imaginative story, novel, play, or film, rather than existing in real life.
"Sherlock Holmes is one of the most famous fictional detectives in world literature."
Relating to or characteristic of the literary genre of fiction.
"The professor specializes in nineteenth-century fictional narratives and their social impact."
Word Nuance & Usage
"Fictional" generally refers to characters, events, or settings created for imaginative storytelling, whereas "fictitious" often implies something fabricated with the intent to deceive (such as a fictitious name or alibi).
• Rhymes for fictional
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Formed in the early 19th century from "fiction" plus the adjectival suffix "-al", ultimately tracing back to Latin "fictio" (a shaping or feigning), from the verb "fingere" (to shape, form, or contrive).