fictitious
adjective
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Fictitious is related to the Medieval Latin word fictīcius, meaning "artificial," "imaginary," "feigned," or "fraudulent." It was first used in English as an antonym for natural. For instance, a fake diamond would be referred to as a fictitious one. This use indicates the word's deeper Latin roots: fictīcius is from the Latin verb fingere, meaning "to mold, fashion, make a likeness of; pretend to be." Nowadays, fictitious is no longer used for physical things shaped by the human hand. Rather, it is typically used for imaginative creations or for feigned emotions.
Synonyms
Examples of fictitious in a Sentence
Kaitlin Sullivan, NBC News, 9 Oct. 2024
To Kaplan, the onscreen romantic chemistry between the two fictitious lead characters, rival booksellers Joe Fox and Kathleen Kelly, drew her attention.
—David Chiu, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
There is a chance that generative AI can make up fictitious facts, often referred to as AI hallucinations, see my coverage at the link here.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 2 Nov. 2024
At one point, Trump mentioned Hannibal Lecter, the fictitious serial killer and cannibal from Silence of the Lambs.
—Marina Watts, People.com, 15 Oct. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Fictitious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fictitious. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
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fictitious
adjective
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