factitious

adjective

fak-ˈti-shəs How to pronounce factitious (audio)
Definition of factitiousnext
1
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
2
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 This is a useful inquiry, because we in the modern world are inundated by manipulated or factitious statistics, fabricated by marketers and politicians, promoted on social media and swallowed whole by news organizations. — Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 14 Dec. 2023 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 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
  1. synthetic
  2. false
  3. faux
  4. unnatural
  5. artificial
  6. mock
  7. fake
  8. strained
Adjective
  • Tight or synthetic clothing can increase bacterial growth on the skin, including in areas that promote UTIs, due to additional sweating.
    — Alexandra Frost, USA Today, 30 June 2026
  • Their work ultimately led to the creation of the first synthetic hydrogel made from poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate), or pHEMA.
    — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 30 June 2026
Definition of synthetic
Adjective
  • The charge alleges a person knowingly defrauded another by using false or misleading information to obtain money, property, credit or a loan.
    — Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 1 July 2026
  • Opponents of Amendment 5 have flatly called the advertisement misleading or false.
    — Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 1 July 2026
Definition of false
Adjective
  • Inside, a memory foam insole with arch support cushions every step, and the soft faux leather molds to your ideal fit over time.
    — Nicol Natale, PEOPLE, 30 June 2026
  • The white interior and faux leather are also available in Overland and reviewed Limited trims.
    — James Raia, Mercury News, 28 June 2026
Definition of faux
Adjective
  • Even after extensive engineering, Coach Eve would take about three seconds to reply to a question—a delay users felt was uncomfortable and unnatural.
    — Benjamin Wolff, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026
  • His speech was an unnatural blur.
    — Paige Williams, New Yorker, 22 June 2026
Definition of unnatural
Adjective
  • The West should also stop drawing artificial distinctions that favor Russian escalation management over Ukrainian survival.
    — David A. Deptula, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
  • Instead of using artificial colors, look for ingredients that naturally fit the bill.
    — Kate Williams, AJC.com, 29 June 2026
Definition of artificial
Adjective
  • Those included a charmingly cluttered Bucket family home, a lush candyland with the smell of chocolate piped through the Royal Theater to complement the full-size mock chocolate river, and a glass elevator that flew above the audience.
    — Nathan Diller, USA Today, 6 July 2026
  • Grindlinger is a two-way standout from Southern California who Baseball America had going to Boston in its latest mock draft.
    — Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 5 July 2026
Definition of mock
Adjective
  • First was a Drug Enforcement Administration badge and ID with Horsch’s photo on it, but the ID was fake, and Horsch has never worked for the DEA, according to court documents.
    — Danny Freeman, CNN Money, 1 July 2026
  • This game preserves the difficulty of coming up with an elaborate, consistent false narrative on the spot, and the challenge of adapting that narrative on the fly when other players present convincing (and sometimes fake) counter-evidence.
    — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 30 June 2026
Definition of fake
Adjective
  • Then there’s the risk of higher frustration and strained relationships across an organization.
    — Kamya Elawadhi, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
  • But for Chris Williams, an 18-year employee of the California Department of Education, the contentious return-to-office process may have teed up a strained relationship with downtown.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 1 July 2026
Definition of strained

Browse Nearby Words

factious
factitious
factoid
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Cite this Entry

“Factitious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/factitious. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of factitious for Spanish Speakers

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