Fictional
/ˈfɪk.ʃən.əl/noun
Relating to or resembling fiction; invented rather than factual.
Did you know?Its deepest root is tied to Latin *fingere*, “to shape, mold, devise,” the same verb behind *feign* and *effigy*—so fiction is literally something “shaped” by the mind.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*dheigh-
“to shape, form, mold”
Latin
Latin
fingere
“to shape, mold, form; to devise, pretend”
Latin
Latin
fictio
“a shaping, a feigning; an invention”
Old French
Old French
fiction
“a feigning; an invented statement or story”
Middle English
English
ficcioun
“an invention, a falsehood, a made-up story”
Modern English
English
fictional
“pertaining to fiction; invented, not factual”