fictitious

[fik-tish-uhs] / fɪkˈtɪʃ əs /

ADJECTIVE

untrue, made-up

Synonyms

STRONGEST

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

WEAK

artificial assumed chimerical concocted cooked-up created deceptive delusive delusory dishonest ersatz factitious fake faked fantastic fashioned feigned fictive figmental hyped-up illusory imagined improvised invented made mock romantic simulated suppositious supposititious synthetic trumped-up unreal

Antonyms

STRONGEST

authentic factual genuine honest real sincere true truthful

WEAK

actual certain confirmed proven sure

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.

Danielle, “Rooster” takes place at a fictitious college.

From Los Angeles Times • May 26, 2026

Among these is a truly fascinating man, Boris Berezovsky, who, unlike Baranov, is not fictitious.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026

In its review, the Hechinger Report found other companies that similarly allude to fictitious government programs.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 30, 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

She invented a fictitious person whom she called Evelyn Everybody.

From "Stargirl" by Jerry Spinelli

Vocabulary lists containing fictitious

Commonly Confused Words, List 1

Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!

30 GRE Words Beginning with "E" and "F"

Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!

The Pigman

Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!