Okuzeka
Literature vocabulary · Genres and Forms

Fiction

Meaning in literature, with examples

/ˈfɪkʃn/nounCore term

In literature, fiction means: Stories, such as novels and short stories, that describe imaginary events and people rather than real ones.

In Turkish: kurmaca, kurgu, kurgusal edebiyat

How it is used

Used by readers, bookshops, publishers and prize committees. Common types are literary fiction, genre fiction, crime fiction, science fiction and historical fiction. It is uncountable: 'a fiction book' is informal; say 'a novel' or 'a work of fiction'.

Example sentences

  1. Most of the books on the prize shortlist are literary fiction.

  2. The film blurs the line between fiction and documentary.

Common collocations

  • literary fiction
  • science fiction
  • crime fiction
  • a work of fiction
  • fiction writer
  • nonfictionWriting about real people, events and facts, such as biographies, memoirs, essays, history and travel books.
  • novelA long story written in prose that describes imaginary people and events, usually long enough to fill a whole book and to develop characters in detail.
  • short storyA piece of prose fiction that can be read in one sitting, usually focusing on a few characters and a single main event or moment.
  • genreA category of literature defined by shared features of form, style or subject, such as poetry, drama and the novel, or crime, fantasy and romance.
  • narrativeA story or account of connected events, and the way it is told; also used as an adjective for anything that tells a story.

More terms: Genres and Forms

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level: