fictional

adjective

ˈfik-shnəl How to pronounce fictional (audio)
Definition of fictionalnext
as in fictitious
not real and existing only in the imagination the events in the horror movie seemed so real to some fans that they could not believe that the whole thing was fictional

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of fictional The series followed a glee club at the fictional William McKinley High School and the student’s director and teacher Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison). — Mariel Turner, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2026 Gen Z Wants to Go Ghost, Not Girlboss That said, the characters do have to be worth clipping, and love him or hate him, Ryan Murphy has always had a knack for creating fictional people who feel bigger than whatever nonsensical story spawned them. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 6 Oct. 2026 While Hefner was married multiple times in real life, the character Biel will play is fictional. — Joe Otterson, Variety, 6 Oct. 2026 Featuring a mixture of stop-motion and 2D animation, the movie functions as a surrealist fairy-tale propaganda film produced by the leader of a fictional religious sect that uses the media as a form method for indoctrinating his followers. — Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for fictional
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fictional
  1. fictitious
  2. imaginary
  3. mythical
  4. imagined
Adjective
  • The Swiss manufacturer has just unveiled a new lineup of Seamaster Diver 300Ms inspired by James Bond and Spectre, the fictitious crime org seen in the 007 flicks.
    — Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The Russian security service’s Meliorator tool has been used to create over a thousand profiles of fictitious Americans, primarily on X (formerly Twitter), to spread Kremlin narratives at a fraction of the cost of human troll farms.
    — Seva Gunitsky, Foreign Affairs, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of fictitious
Adjective
  • What matters most is being comfortably inside the path and away from the hard edges, not standing on an imaginary line drawn through its middle.
    — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Each nutty denunciation of his imaginary tormentors includes a plea for a presidential pardon.
    — Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of imaginary
Adjective
  • The tall temples feature square bases and conical towers adorned with intricate stone carvings of gods and mythical animals, with the three largest structures dedicated to Shiva, Brahma, and Vishnu.
    — Lilit Marcus, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Stroll through the woods and encounter prehistoric scenes, luminous flowers, lantern art and a host of mythical creatures.
    — Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of mythical
Adjective
  • The production was full of nostalgia for an imagined past when the small screen was more ascendant and apolitical, with tributes to Charlie’s Angels and Dolly Parton shirking any embrace of the form’s progressive history.
    — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2026
  • The summer before, so many Black men and Black children and Black women had been murdered for the most meager of real or imagined offenses.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of imagined

Browse Nearby Words

fiction
fictional
fictionalized
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fictional.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fictional. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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