Standard Lemma guide

metafiction

noun · 1 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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1

noun

Meaning 1

A form of self-referential literature concerned with the art and devices of fiction itself.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From meta- + fiction, coined in 1970 by William H. Gass

Across languages

Translations

15 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: metaficció — form of self-referential literature
  • Czech: metafikce — form of self-referential literature
  • Esperanto: metafikcio — form of self-referential literature
  • Finnish: metafiktio — form of self-referential literature
  • French: métafiction — form of self-referential literature
  • German: Metafiktion — form of self-referential literature
  • Greek: μεταμυθοπλασία (metamythoplasía) — form of self-referential literature
  • Korean: 메타픽션 (metapiksyeon) — form of self-referential literature
  • Polish: metafikcja — form of self-referential literature
  • Portuguese: metaficção — form of self-referential literature
  • Romanian: metaficțiune — form of self-referential literature
  • Russian: мѐтапро́за (mètapróza) — form of self-referential literature
  • Serbo-Croatian: metafikcija — form of self-referential literature
  • Spanish: metaficción — form of self-referential literature
  • Vietnamese: siêu hư cấu — form of self-referential literature