ENGLISH
REFERENCE

fictional

adj.
B1 Intermediate US //ˈfɪkʃənəɫ// UK //fˈɪkʃənəl// fic·tion·al

adj. describing something that is not real or true. You use this for people, places, or stories that an author has invented.

adj. relating to or occurring in fiction; not real or factual. Often used to distinguish between historical accounts and invented narratives.


SIMPLE

The story takes place in a fictional city in Europe.

CONTEXTUAL

The author created a fictional detective who solves crimes using only his sense of smell.

COMPLEX

While the setting is entirely fictional, the social tensions depicted in the novel are clearly inspired by the author's own experiences in post-war London.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Origin

From fiction + -al.

Usage

Typically used as an attributive adjective before the noun it modifies.

Pitfall

a fictitious charactera fictional characterWhile similar, 'fictional' refers to things in literature, whereas 'fictitious' often implies a deceptive or fake identity used in real life.

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