fictitious

[ fik-tish-uhs ]

adjective

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

   fictitious names.

   Synonyms: fake, spurious

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

   a fictitious hero.

   Synonyms: fictional

fictitious

/ fɪkˈtɪʃəs /

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

Derived Forms

• ficˈtitiousness, noun
• ficˈtitiously, adverb

Other Words From

• fic·titious·ly adverb
• fic·titious·ness noun
• half-fic·titious adjective
• half-fic·titious·ly adverb
• half-fic·titious·ness noun
• nonfic·titious adjective
• nonfic·titious·ly adverb
• nonfic·titious·ness noun
• quasi-fic·titious adjective
• quasi-fic·titious·ly adverb
• semi·fic·titious adjective
• unfic·titious adjective
• unfic·titious·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of fictitious¹

1605–15; from Latin fictīcius “artificial,” equivalent to fict(us) “shaped, feigned” ( fiction ) + -īcius -itious

Example Sentences

The methods included using fictitious identities, switching the funds into different cryptocurrencies and buying gold coins.

From BBC

Most have changed their physical appearance and assumed fictitious identities, all the way down to new driver’s licenses.

From Los Angeles Times

Sentencing, the judge said across all charges there had been “in total six decoy/fictitious children ranging from 12 years to under 16 years”.

From BBC

It is understood that one of its representatives approached the COP29 team posing as the head of a fictitious Hong Kong investment firm specialising in energy.

From BBC

He told the jury he was trying to get his story reported in the media to increase his credibility with his Iranian intelligence handlers who he says he had given "entirely fictitious" information.

From BBC

Related Words

• apocryphal
• bogus
• counterfeit
• fabricated
• false
• fanciful
• fictional
• imaginary
• make believe
• misleading
• mythical
• phony
• sham
• spurious

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.