FACTITIOUS Synonyms: 135 Similar and Opposite Words

factitious

adjective

fak-ˈti-shəs

Definition of factitious

as in synthetic

being such in appearance only and made with or manufactured from usually cheaper materials presumably the statue is of factitious marble, because for that price you're not going to get the real stuff

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in false

lacking in natural or spontaneous quality the factitious friendliness shown by the beauty-pageant contestants to one another

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of factitious Another was shorting Valeant, the high-flyer with factitious revenue growth. — William Baldwin, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025 With this announcement, factitious (in my opinion) concerns about Amazon being behind in GenAI will be reduced big time. — Sandy Carter, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024 Their connection to these was as factitious as their previous link to toothpaste. — David Mamet, National Review, 31 Mar. 2022 Marc Feldman, the American psychiatrist who popularized the term Munchausen by internet, has noticed that most of the cases of factitious disorder that come to his attention involve women. — Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 16 Mar. 2021 Amidst this sad and factitious disorder what became clear was that political agendas were once again trumping facts. — Amir Husain, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2021 Almanacs aren’t always — and haven’t always been — so fastidiously factitious. — Mark Athitakis, Washington Post, 24 Nov. 2020

Recent Examples of Synonyms for factitious

Adjective

An accident in the Chihuahua mountains On April 19, the Chihuahua Attorney General’s Office reported the dismantling of a synthetic drug lab in the municipality of Morelos, in the mountains of that state.

— María Verza, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026
But every year, millions end up in a landfill after a single use, and many are made from synthetic plastics that don't easily break down, contributing to environmental pollution.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of synthetic

Adjective

Experts worry federal law enforcement could potentially use those false claims — or others generated this year — as pretext to try to seize ballots during the counting period, or interfere in the process in some other way.

— Miles Parks, NPR, 22 Oct. 2026
The false polling data from Wedgewood Polls consistently favored Democrats, particularly progressive candidates.

— Hailey Bullis, The Washington Examiner, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of false

Adjective

Her nose was also dotted with the faux freckles that were scattered across the bridge.

— Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 19 Oct. 2026
Zebra tablecloths and napkins completed the safari theme, and the walls were decorated with faux magazine covers of Bradfield and his partner, auctioneer William Featherby.

— Richard Johnson, New York Daily News, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of faux

Adjective

Other parts of government already contract out rocket launches, cloud storage, satellite intelligence and artificial-intelligence analysis to the tech sector.

— Sarah Scoles, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Stocks in the artificial-intelligence industry bounced back Monday on Wall Street and recovered some of their steep losses from last week, but the rest of the market and stocks worldwide were shaky.

— Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of artificial

Adjective

Some movements feel unnatural, facial expressions are exaggerated, and small details occasionally fall into the uncanny valley or break rules of logical consistency.

— Britta Miller, The Washington Examiner, 14 Oct. 2026
But closer examination reveals that OpenAI’s proof builds its unnatural force in a totally distinct way.

— Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of unnatural

Adjective

In episode 4, Noah made up an elaborate ruse involving a fake friend’s wedding in Napa — a means of getting Joanne to wine country for a romantic weekend.

— Julia Moore, PEOPLE, 22 Oct. 2026
The two fans came with their own props even though fake mustaches were given to fans at the entry gates.

— Armando L. Sanchez, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of fake

Adjective

However, royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told Fox News Digital that Harry's willingness to publicly discuss his strained family relationships only makes the royals more reluctant to extend an olive branch.

— Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2026
Other governments around the world are also feeling pressure because of high debt loads and strained budgets, including the United States.

— Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of strained

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“Factitious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/factitious. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of factitious

adjective

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