adj · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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/ˈfɪkʃənəl/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:F IH1 K SH AH0 N AH0 L
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Invented, as opposed to real.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
Romeo and Juliet are fictional characters.
The janitor's account of the crime turned out to be entirely fictional.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Containing invented elements.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
The Simpsons is a fictional television show.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adj
Meaning 3
Occurring in fiction.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
adjective
Meaning 4
related to or involving literary fiction
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
clever fictional devices
a fictional treatment of the train robbery
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: nonfictional
5
adjective satellite
Meaning 5
formed or conceived by the imagination
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
a fabricated excuse for his absence
a fancied wrong
a fictional character
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: fabricated, fancied, fictitious
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *dheyǵh- Proto-Indo-European *-né- Proto-Indo-European *dhinéǵhti Proto-Italic *θingō Proto-Italic *fingōder. Latin fingō Proto-Indo-European *-tis Proto-Indo-European *-Hō Proto-Indo-European *-tiHō Proto-Italic *-tiō Latin -tiō Latin fictiōder. Old French ficcionbor. Middle English ficcioun English fiction English -al English fictional From fiction + -al.
Across languages
Translations
65 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Afrikaans:
fiktiewe
— invented, as opposed to real
Afrikaans:
fiktief
— invented, as opposed to real
Arabic:
خَيَالِيّ
(ḵayāliyy)
— invented, as opposed to real
Arabic:
مُتَخَيَّل
(mutaḵayyal)
— invented, as opposed to real
Belarusian:
вы́думаны
(výdumany)
— invented, as opposed to real
Belarusian:
фікты́ўны
(fiktýwny)
— invented, as opposed to real
Belarusian:
выабража́льны
(vyabražálʹny)
— invented, as opposed to real
Bulgarian:
изми́слен
(izmíslen)
— invented, as opposed to real
Bulgarian:
въобра́жаем
(vǎobrážaem)
— invented, as opposed to real
Bulgarian:
фикти́вен
(fiktíven)
— invented, as opposed to real
Catalan:
ficcional
— invented, as opposed to real
Czech:
fiktivní
— invented, as opposed to real
Czech:
smyšlený
— invented, as opposed to real
Danish:
fiktiv
— invented, as opposed to real
Danish:
opdigtet
— invented, as opposed to real
Dutch:
fictief
— invented, as opposed to real
Faroese:
íspunnin
— invented, as opposed to real
Faroese:
uppspunnin
— invented, as opposed to real
Faroese:
fagurbókmentaligur
— invented, as opposed to real
Finnish:
kuvitteellinen
— invented, as opposed to real
Finnish:
fiktiivinen
— invented, as opposed to real
French:
fictif
— invented, as opposed to real
Galician:
ficticio
— invented, as opposed to real
German:
fiktiv
— invented, as opposed to real
German:
erfunden
— invented, as opposed to real
German:
ausgedacht
— invented, as opposed to real
Greek:
φανταστικός
(fantastikós)
— invented, as opposed to real
Hungarian:
kitalált
— invented, as opposed to real
Hungarian:
fiktív
— invented, as opposed to real
Icelandic:
skáldskapar-
— invented, as opposed to real
Icelandic:
uppspunninn
— invented, as opposed to real
Icelandic:
skáldaður
— invented, as opposed to real
Icelandic:
tilbúinn
— invented, as opposed to real
Icelandic:
upploginn
— invented, as opposed to real
Italian:
immaginario
— invented, as opposed to real
Italian:
fittizio
— invented, as opposed to real
Italian:
inventato
— invented, as opposed to real
Italian:
finto
— invented, as opposed to real
Macedonian:
измислен
(izmislen)
— invented, as opposed to real
Macedonian:
фиктивен
(fiktiven)
— invented, as opposed to real
Polish:
fikcyjny
— invented, as opposed to real
Polish:
zmyślony
— invented, as opposed to real
Portuguese:
fictício
— invented, as opposed to real
Russian:
вы́мышленный
(výmyšlennyj)
— invented, as opposed to real
Russian:
вы́думанный
(výdumannyj)
— invented, as opposed to real
Russian:
фикти́вный
(fiktívnyj)
— invented, as opposed to real
Russian:
вообража́емый
(voobražájemyj)
— invented, as opposed to real
Serbo-Croatian:
ѝзмишљен
— invented, as opposed to real
Serbo-Croatian:
фѝктӣван
— invented, as opposed to real
Serbo-Croatian:
ìzmišljen
— invented, as opposed to real
Serbo-Croatian:
fìktīvan
— invented, as opposed to real
Slovak:
vymyslený
— invented, as opposed to real
Slovak:
fiktívny
— invented, as opposed to real
Slovene:
izmišljen
— invented, as opposed to real
Slovene:
fiktiven
— invented, as opposed to real
Spanish:
ficticio
— invented, as opposed to real
Spanish:
inventado
— invented, as opposed to real
Spanish:
ficcional
— invented, as opposed to real
Spanish:
fictivo
— invented, as opposed to real
Swahili:
-a kubuniwa
— invented, as opposed to real
Swedish:
fiktiv
— invented, as opposed to real
Ukrainian:
ви́гаданий
(výhadanyj)
— invented, as opposed to real
Ukrainian:
ви́мишлений
(výmyšlenyj)
— invented, as opposed to real
Ukrainian:
ви́думаний
(výdumanyj)
— invented, as opposed to real
Ukrainian:
фікти́вний
(fiktývnyj)
— invented, as opposed to real