Agency Dictionary
Fiction
nounPronunciation: /ˈfɪk.ʃən/
In Portuguese: Ficção
Writing & NarrativeWhat does “Fiction” mean?
Literature in the form of prose, especially novels and short stories, that describes imaginary events, characters, and scenarios not strictly based on historical facts.
Etymology
From Middle English ficcioun, from Old French ficcion, "invention, ruse", from Latin fictio, "a shaping, a feigning", a noun formed from fingere, "to mould, to devise, to feign". The same Latin verb gave feign, figment and figure. The word first meant something invented or pretended; the sense of imaginative literature, and of prose narrative in particular, came later and is now the main one.
Usage note
In publishing, fiction covers novels and short stories, as opposed to nonfiction. Poetry and drama are usually classed apart, although they are also invented.
Synonyms
- invention
- fabrication
- fantasy
- storytelling
- narrative
Often confused with
- fictitious
- Fictional refers to what belongs to a work of fiction; fictitious means false or made up, often in order to deceive.
Word family
- fictional
- fictitious
- fictive
- fictionalize
- nonfiction
Rhymes with
- friction
- diction
- restriction
- conviction
- prediction
- addiction
- eviction
- depiction
Usage examples
Disclaimer: This interview is a work of fiction.
Concept
Source editions
Where this entry comes from in the Agency editorial.
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