fictitious
Americanadjective
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not genuine or authentic; assumed; false
to give a fictitious address
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of, related to, or characteristic of fiction; created by the imagination
Usage
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.
Other Word Forms
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fictitiouslyadverb
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fictitiousnessnoun
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half-fictitiousadjective
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half-fictitiouslyadverb
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half-fictitiousnessnoun
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nonfictitiousadjective
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nonfictitiouslyadverb
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nonfictitiousnessnoun
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quasi-fictitiousadjective
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quasi-fictitiouslyadverb
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semifictitiousadjective
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unfictitiousadjective
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unfictitiouslyadverb
Etymology
Origin of fictitious
1605–15; from Latin fictīcius “artificial,” equivalent to fict(us) “shaped, feigned” ( see fiction) + -īcius -itious
Compare meaning
How does fictitious compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Fictitious means made up, or imaginary. No matter how real Scarlett O'Hara might seem in "Gone With the Wind," she's a fictitious character invented by author Margaret Mitchell. When you look at the word fictitious, you'll probably notice that it bears a striking resemblance to fiction — which is an imaginary story about people and events that are made up for the purpose of entertaining readers. Fictitious can also be used to mean "trick or deceive." A thief assumes a fictitious name to hide his real identity and evade capture.
Vocabulary lists containing fictitious
Commonly Confused Words, List 1
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30 GRE Words Beginning with "E" and "F"
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The Pigman
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In its review, the Hechinger Report found other companies that similarly allude to fictitious government programs.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 30, 2026
Kino’s hypocrisy stems from the same swamp as the original’s fictitious Dr. Gröss, whose lurid footage climaxed with a tsk-tsking screed against poverty, pollution and fascism as major contributors to the global death toll.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026
One particularly active fake profile used the name "Kevin Zhang", claiming to be the head of a fictitious Hong Kong-based firm called "Oriental Consulting", the security source told AFP.
From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026
In June 2025, the High Court of England and Wales warned lawyers not to use AI-generated case material after a series of cases cited fictitious or partially made up rulings.
From BBC • Mar. 3, 2026
“Please don’t scream,” I said, thinking not about her probably fictitious father but about what other things might come running.
From "Hollow City" by Ransom Riggs
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
