Fictitious

mediumNegative tone

fik-TISH-us

adjective

Definition

Not real; imaginary or fabricated

Memory hook

FICT-ITIOUS: from FICTION — made up, imaginary, not real.

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Word roots

fictusformed/feigned(Latin)

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Examples

The novel is set in a fictitious country.
He used a fictitious name to avoid detection.

Test yourself

Fill in the blank with the right word:

The novel is set in a ______ country.
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fictitious

Synonyms

fabricatedimaginaryinventedapocryphal

Antonyms

factualrealgenuineauthentic

Categories

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GRE Tip

Fictitious is a medium-difficulty GRE word. On the GRE, you might see it paired with synonyms like "fabricated" or "imaginary" in Sentence Equivalence questions. Look for contrast clues (however, despite, although) that signal the opposite meaning. Words like "factual".

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