fiction
- 01 A2 Elementary
books and stories about imaginary people and events.
the genre of literature, typically prose, that describes imaginary events and people.
Simple“She enjoys reading historical fiction because it makes the past feel alive.”
In context“The library expanded its fiction section to accommodate the growing popularity of contemporary graphic novels and speculative prose.”
UsageUncountable when referring to the genre; countable when referring to a specific work.
SynonymsAntonymsnon fictionfact - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
something that is not true or a story that someone made up to hide the truth.
a statement, story, or belief that is false or fabricated, often intended to deceive.
Simple“His excuse about the car breaking down was a complete fiction.”
In context“The official report was dismissed as a convenient fiction designed to protect the reputation of the local authorities.”
Synonyms - 03 C1 Advanced
a situation where the law treats something as true even if it is not, to make a rule work.
an assertion accepted as true by a court to allow a legal rule to be applied, despite its lack of factual basis.
Simple“The idea that a company is a 'person' is a legal fiction used in court.”
In context“The court relied on a legal fiction to establish jurisdiction over the offshore accounts, ensuring the defendants could not evade their obligations.”
UsageUsually appears in the fixed phrase 'legal fiction'.
Synonyms
Usage science fiction
From Middle English ficcioun, from Old French ficcion (“dissimulation, ruse, invention”), from Latin fictiō (“a making, fashioning, a feigning, a rhetorical or legal fiction”), from fingō (“to form, mold, shape, devise, feign”). Displaced native Old English lēasspell (literally “false story”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.