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
Andrew A. Rooney
b
: fictitious literature (such as novels or short stories)
was renowned as a writer of fiction
c
: a work of fiction
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 power—G. A. Wagner
G. A. Wagner3
: the action of feigning or of creating with the imagination
She engaged in fiction to escape painful realities.
Synonyms
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 books are mainly literary fiction, with occasional nonfiction.
—Brenda Stolyar, WIRED, 22 Nov. 2024
In fiction, that’s not always true, but the principle of economy still applies.
—Jd Barker, Rolling Stone, 21 Nov. 2024
Suspense and crime fiction in many flavors from the author of the Ruth Galloway mysteries.
—Jim Higgins, Journal Sentinel, 21 Nov. 2024
For me, documentary is another way to make fiction.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 20 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for fiction 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Brenda Stolyar, WIRED, 22 Nov. 2024
In fiction, that’s not always true, but the principle of economy still applies.
—Jd Barker, Rolling Stone, 21 Nov. 2024
Suspense and crime fiction in many flavors from the author of the Ruth Galloway mysteries.
—Jim Higgins, Journal Sentinel, 21 Nov. 2024
For me, documentary is another way to make fiction.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 20 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for fiction
Dictionary Entries Near fiction
Cite this Entry
“Fiction.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fiction. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
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