fiction

[fik-shuh n] /ˈfɪk ʃən/
noun
1.
the class of literature comprising works of imaginative narration, especially in prose form.
2.
works of this class, as novels or short stories:
detective fiction.
3.
something feigned, invented, or imagined; a made-up story:
We've all heard the fiction of her being in delicate health.
4.
the act of feigning, inventing, or imagining.
5.
an imaginary thing or event, postulated for the purposes of argument or explanation.
6.
Law. an allegation that a fact exists that is known not to exist, made by authority of law to bring a case within the operation of a rule of law.
Origin
1375-1425; late Middle English < Latin fictiōn- (stem of fictiō) a shaping, hence a feigning, fiction, equivalent to fict(us) molded (past participle of fingere) + -iōn- -ion
Related forms
fictional, adjective
fictionally, adverb
profiction, adjective
semifiction, noun
semifictional, adjective
semifictionally, adverb
Can be confused
facetious, factious, factitious, fictional, fictitious.
factitious, fictional, fictitious, fictive.
Synonyms
3. fable, fantasy. Fiction, fabrication, figment suggest a story that is without basis in reality. Fiction suggests a story invented and fashioned either to entertain or to deceive: clever fiction; pure fiction. Fabrication applies particularly to a false but carefully invented statement or series of statements, in which some truth is sometimes interwoven, the whole usually intended to deceive: fabrications to lure speculators. Figment applies to a tale, idea, or statement often made up to explain, justify, or glorify oneself: His rich uncle was a figment of his imagination.
Antonyms
3. fact.
Examples from the web for fiction
  • Poe pioneered the psychological horror story, the detective story, and the emerging genre of science fiction.
  • Once the fantasy of science fiction, battlefield robots are now a reality.
  • Bringing extinct species back to life is no longer considered science fiction.
  • Writing poetry can help students see a non-fiction topic in a new way.
  • The narrative is no longer a historical work, but a work of fiction.
  • If you are interested in science fiction and historical fiction than this is the right book for you.
  • Quantum teleportation may have progressed from science fiction to reality.
  • In popular science fiction, the power of invisibility is readily apparent.
  • The sort of thing that used to happen only in fiction can hardly compare to what's in the news today.
  • The show borrows heavily from other science fiction sources.
British Dictionary definitions for fiction

fiction

/ˈfɪkʃən/
noun
1.
literary works invented by the imagination, such as novels or short stories
2.
an invented story or explanation; lie
3.
the act of inventing a story or explanation
4.
(law) something assumed to be true for the sake of convenience, though probably false
Derived Forms
fictional, adjective
fictionally, adverb
fictioneer, fictionist, noun
Word Origin
C14: from Latin fictiō a fashioning, hence something imaginary, from fingere to shape
Word Origin and History for fiction
n.

late 14c., "something invented," from Old French ficcion (13c.) "dissimulation, ruse; invention," and directly from Latin fictionem (nominative fictio) "a fashioning or feigning," noun of action from past participle stem of fingere "to shape, form, devise, feign," originally "to knead, form out of clay," from PIE *dheigh- (cf. Old English dag "dough;" see dough). As a branch of literature, 1590s.

fiction in Culture

fiction definition


Literature that is a work of the imagination and is not necessarily based on fact. Some examples of modern works of fiction are The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Lolita, by Vladimir Nabokov.

Encyclopedia Article for fiction

literature created from the imagination, not presented as fact, though it may be based on a true story or situation. Types of literature in the fiction genre include the novel, short story, and novella. The word is from the Latin fictio, "the act of making, fashioning, or molding."

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