51Թ

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View synonyms for

fictitious

[ fik-tish-uhs ]

adjective

  1. created, taken, or assumed for the sake of concealment; not genuine; false:

    fictitious names.

    Synonyms: ,

  2. of, relating to, or consisting of fiction; imaginatively produced or set forth; created by the imagination:

    a fictitious hero.

    Synonyms:



fictitious

/ ɪˈɪʃə /

adjective

  1. not genuine or authentic; assumed; false

    to give a fictitious address

  2. of, related to, or characteristic of fiction; created by the imagination
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Derived Forms

  • ھˈپپdzܲԱ, noun
  • ھˈپپdzܲ, adverb
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Other 51Թ Forms

  • ھ·پtdzܲ· adverb
  • ھ·پtdzܲ·Ա noun
  • 󲹱-ھ·پtdzܲ adjective
  • half-ھ·پtdzܲ· adverb
  • half-ھ·پtdzܲ·Ա noun
  • ԴDzЭ·پtdzܲ adjective
  • nonھ·پtdzܲ· adverb
  • nonھ·پtdzܲ·Ա noun
  • ܲȴ-ھ·پtdzܲ adjective
  • quasi-ھ·پtdzܲ· adverb
  • i·ھ·پtdzܲ adjective
  • ܲЭ·پtdzܲ adjective
  • unھ·پtdzܲ· adverb
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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of fictitious1

1605–15; from Latin ھīܲ “artificial,” equivalent to fict(us) “shaped, feigned” ( fiction ) + -īܲ -itious
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Compare Meanings

How does fictitious compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

One of the mayor's own lawyers was detained briefly "on fictitious grounds", according to a social media post that Ekrem Imamoglu sent from his cell in a high security prison.

From

Frank reluctantly agrees to help play the fictitious producer, so long as things don’t get messy.

From

A charge of false, fictitious or fraudulent claim against the U.S. could result in up to five years.

From

Another alleged scam involved the defendants posing as fictitious real estate owners and tricking victims into thinking a legitimate sale of property was occurring, then pocketing the money.

From

Ariyan had to approach men in the Middle East and lure them into transferring funds to fictitious investments.

From

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Related 51Թs

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Fictitious Vs. Fictional Vs. Fictive

What’s the difference between fictitious, fictional, and fictive?

Fictitious most commonly means false or made up, as in I signed in with a fictitious name to hide my identity. Fictional means invented as part of a work of fiction, as in Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective or This account is entirely fictional—it’s not based on a true story. Fictive is a much less commonly used word that means imaginary or relating to or capable of creating fiction, as in a fictive imagination.

Confusingly, their meanings can overlap—fictitious can sometimes mean the same thing as fictional, and fictive can sometimes mean the same thing as fictitious. It can be tough to remember which word is the right one to use since all three are adjectives that are used in contexts involving things that are imagined or made up.

Still, they are usually used in pretty specific ways. Fictitious is most commonly used in the context of things that are made up to conceal something or deceive someone in real life, whereas fictional is almost always applied to stories and characters that are part of creative works, like books and movies. Fictitious can usually be replaced with the word fake—this is not the case for fictional.

Here’s an example of fictitious, fictional, and fictive used correctly in the same sentence.

Example: Instead of using fictitious names that no one would notice, his aliases were the names of fictional characters, like Clark Kent and Peter Parker—you would think a con artist would have a more fictive imagination.

Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between fictitious, fictional, and fictive.

Quiz yourself on fictitious vs. fictional vs. fictive!

Should fictitious, fictional, or fictive be used in the following sentence?

The characters in this film are purely _____—any resemblance to real persons is entirely coincidental.

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