Fictional vs. Fictitious: What's the Difference?

Quick Answer

"Fictional" means relating to or occurring in fiction, such as novels, films, or stories. "Fictitious" means false, fake, or invented to deceive. A fictional character lives in a story. A fictitious name is a fake name used to hide someone's identity.

Fictional: Belonging to Fiction

"Fictional" is a neutral term that describes anything created as part of a work of fiction. It carries no negative connotation.

Sherlock Holmes is one of the most famous fictional detectives in literature.
The show is set in a fictional town in the American Midwest.
She specializes in writing fictional accounts of historical events.
The movie's fictional universe includes dozens of interconnected storylines.
Many readers form emotional connections with fictional characters.

"Fictional" simply means "from a story" or "imagined for creative purposes." There's no implication of dishonesty.

Fictitious: Fake or Fabricated

"Fictitious" often carries a negative connotation. It describes things that are invented to deceive, mislead, or conceal the truth.

He opened the bank account under a fictitious name.
The expenses listed on the report turned out to be entirely fictitious.
The company used a fictitious address on its registration documents.
Investigators discovered that the charity was a fictitious organization.
She gave a fictitious reason for missing the meeting.

When something is described as fictitious, the implication is usually that someone created it dishonestly.

Where They Overlap

Both words can mean "not real," which is where the confusion starts. A fictitious company in a novel is also a fictional company. In creative writing contexts, the words sometimes overlap.

However, the connotation shifts the meaning:

The novel features a fictional pharmaceutical company. (A made-up company in a story — neutral.)
He listed a fictitious pharmaceutical company on his tax return. (A fake company meant to deceive — negative.)

Side-by-Side Examples

Fictional account: a story or narrative created for entertainment
Fictitious account: a bank account opened with false information
Fictional identity: a character's identity in a novel
Fictitious identity: a fake identity used to commit fraud
Fictional story: a made-up narrative in a book or film
Fictitious story: a lie presented as truth

Usage Guidelines

Use "fictional" when discussing creative works — novels, films, TV shows, games, or any storytelling medium.

Use "fictitious" when describing something invented to mislead, deceive, or falsify. Legal and journalistic writing favors "fictitious" in fraud and deception contexts.

A Note on "Fictive"

A third option, "fictive," exists but is less common. It means "relating to the creation of fiction" and appears mainly in academic and literary criticism: "the fictive imagination," "fictive worlds." For most writing, you only need to choose between "fictional" and "fictitious."

Quick Test

If you can substitute "from a story," use fictional. If you can substitute "fake" or "fabricated," use fictitious. This works in the vast majority of cases.

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