Fictional-Fictitious | Commonly Confused Words
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Fictional vs. Fictitious

Fictional

/ˈfɪkʃənəl/
Not real, imaginary; invented for a book, story, or movie

Examples:

The film's plot is purely fictional, providing an escapist thrill.She enjoys writing about fictional kingdoms with magical creatures.In the novel, fictional technology transforms the world in unexpected ways.

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

Fictitious

/fɪkˈtɪʃəs/
Made up or imaginary; not real or true

Examples:

The newspaper article included a fictitious account of events.To keep her identity secret, she used a fictitious name.His argument was based on fictitious data and false premises.

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

Ways to tell them apart:

etymology
  • "Fictional" relates to fiction, which is a genre or category of storytelling where things are made up or imagined.
  • "Fictitious" refers to something that is made up for a specific purpose, like a fake story or a lie.
  • If something is "fictional," it's typically part of literature, movies, television, etc.
  • A "fictitious" name might be used to conceal a person's real identity.
  • Remember: "Fictional" usually refers to stories, while "fictitious" refers to the quality of being imaginary or false.
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