Definitions

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.

"Some people just want a fictitious romance but have no intention of ever meeting you. Or they're married, or just want an online relationship."

From BBC • May 21, 2026

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

From MarketWatch • Apr. 30, 2026

The seemingly limitless proliferation of cases in which lawyers have been caught letting fictitious AI-generated legal citations contaminate their briefs continues to amaze.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 27, 2026

Filings also note a $1 million payment to Weiss that entailed compensation for family members and payments to his personal American Express card, and a $205,500 disbursement to Stitsky “including salary to a fictitious person.”

From Barron's • Mar. 4, 2026

Young children learned about George Washington’s honesty in a fictitious story of a cherry tree.

From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis

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

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!