Fictional or ficticious?

[Unregistered]

I hope someone will answer this for me; it is driving me mad! I'm not studying English or anything, but I've always had a passion for it, and I realised the other day that I don't know what the difference is between "fictional" and "ficticious" - and even Google can't tell me! I swear I won't sleep until I have the answer...

 

[Delmobile]

To me, "fictional" is used when referring to a written work: "He later published a fictional account of his trip down the Amazon."

"Fictitious" would be the word to choose if you are talking about something other than a book: "You mean, you believe those stories she tells about her first marriage? Completely fictitious, my dear. Her ex-husband is my husband's second cousin, and we know all about it."

You could use "fictional" in the second example as well, but I would not use "fictitious" in the first.

[not a teacher]

 

[Amigos4]

To me, "fictional" is used when referring to a written work: "He later published a fictional account of his trip down the Amazon."

"Fictitious" would be the word to choose if you are talking about something other than a book: "You mean, you believe those stories she tells about her first marriage? Completely fictitious, my dear. Her ex-husband is my husband's second cousin, and we know all about it."

You could use "fictional" in the second example as well, but I would not use "fictitious" in the first.

[not a teacher]

Examples:

"I recently received an e-mail from an individual who used a ficticious adress for his company."

"Catcher in the Rye is a wonderful work of fiction."

Cheers,
Amigos4

 

[vil]

Hi......

fictional (adj) 1. consisting or suggesting fiction
2. related to or involving literally fiction
3. formed or conceived by the imagination
"I like fictional literature."
"That was a fictional treatment of the train robbery."

fiction = - literary work whose content is produced by the
imagination and is not necessary based on fact
- an imaginative creation or a pretense that does not
represent actually but has been invented

"He is a fiction writer."

ficticious = fictitious = created or formed by imagination
untrue, made-up
antonym: actual, certain, factual, genuine, proved, real, truthful

"The accounts he gave of his movements is quite fictitious."

A fictitious name is an assumed name that differs from an individual's actual name. For example, both "Delmobile" and "Amigos4", are fictitious names of two respected from me individuals.

Regards.

V.

 

[Amigos4]

Quote from vil:
A fictitious name is an assumed name that differs from an individual's actual name. For example, both "Delmobile" and "Amigos4", are fictitious names of two respected from me individuals.

Thanks for the friendly compliment, vil! However, I think you need to know that only 'Delmobile' has a ficticious name! My username is authentic... Mom has been calling me 'Amigos4' since my birth! (By the way, my dad's name is Amigos3!)

Enjoy!

Cheers,
Amigos4

 

[vil]

Thanks for the friendly compliment, vil! However, I think you need to know that only 'Delmobile' has a fictitious name! My username is authentic... Mom has been calling me 'Amigos4' since my birth! (By the way, my dad's name is Amigos3!)

Hi Amigos4,

I beg pardon concerning my, I hope last for this week, foolish mistake. Really, such mistake are inadmissible. We have to call a spade a spade. (Do you know this proverb? In last time I have used incorrectly so many English phrases that I have lost to all sense of shame.) Really, the genuinely individual (read man) should have a real earnest (authentic) name, not an assumed name.

Sorry my friend1, that a such regrettable mistake has slipped in.That was because of my lack of knowledge.

Regards.

V.

 

[Amigos4]

Thanks for the friendly compliment, vil! However, I think you need to know that only 'Delmobile' has a fictitious name! My username is authentic... Mom has been calling me 'Amigos4' since my birth! (By the way, my dad's name is Amigos3!)

Hi Amigos4,

I beg pardon concerning my, I hope last for this week, foolish mistake. Really, such mistake are inadmissible. We have to call a spade a spade. (Do you know this proverb? I last time I have used incorrectly so many English phrases that I have lost to all sense of shame.) Really, the genuinely individual (read man) should have a real earnest (authentic) name, not an assumed name.

Sorry my friend1, that a such regrettable mistake has slipped in.That was because of my lack of knowledge.

Regards.

V.

Hi, vil! I hope your Sunday morning is off to a wonderful start!

Let me take this opportunity to clarify the ficticious name situation.

Your original statement is 100% accurate: A fictitious name is an assumed name that differs from an individual's actual name. For example, both "Delmobile" and "Amigos4", are fictitious names...

My real name is Robert (Bob). The ficticious name I use in this Forum is Amigos4.

My reply to you about "Mom calling me Amigos4 since my birth" was an attempt to be funny! Apparently, the meaning of the joke was lost in the translation! I should be apologizing to you for leading you away from the serious, and very complimentary, remarks you had written in your post.

Based upon information you have shared with us in previous messages, I think you and I are about the same age. I have come to a point in my life where I attempt to find humor in almost everything I see and hear! It makes my life much more enjoyable each time I can smile! I would hope that you, too, can easily find humor in your life!

As you get to know me better, you will be able to tell the difference between the times I am being serious and the times when I am feeling frisky and light-hearted! (If you aren't sure which is which, feel free to ask me!)

You are making significant progress with your English acquisition. I salute you for your efforts to become more fluent in your speaking and writing skills!

Best wishes for continued success, my friend!

Cheers,
Bob

 

[vil]

Hi Bob,

Thank you for your soothing post. There was no necessity to do it. I caught at once the meaning of your joke. I attempted to pay like for like with the similar humorous manner, but unfortunately, you wouldn't be able sense my antediluvian Balkan humor.

I think everything is all right.

Thank you for your encouraging words. That was a song of praise, very pleasant for my ears. Thank you also for your perfect correction, performing over a left-written by me sentence. (which was corrected at first by the charming Heidita.). I have had the pleasure to use successfully in practice your wonderful pattern-sentence in a few my posts yet.

Thank you again for your attention.

Regards.

V.

 

[AstroNox]

Fictional has a neutral connotation. It describes a work that is publicly known to be false for leisure or entertainment purposes.

This is a fictional account of persons abroad the Titanic—their lives, their interactions and ultimately their demise. Any resemblance to real persons, living and dead, are purely coincidental.

Fictitious has a negative connotation. It suggests deceit.

On July 15, 1982, the defendant submitted fictitious claims on his insurance policy.

 

[vil]

Hi AstroNox,

I agree with your truly supplement almost but not quite.

Really I have to elaborate the hatched of me definition in my original post namely "created or formed by imagination in order to deceive" which is taken for granted from the attached example: "The account he gave of his movements is quite fictitious."

Really, in that case "fictitious" have definitely a negative connotation. It suggests deceit. There are two additional definitions:

2a. as adopted or assumed in order to deceive.
"a fictitious name" "a fictitious address"
3. not genuinely believed or felt;
sham

"Greeting me with a fictitious"

There is the following full list of synonyms, that have very close meaning. But not every one have a negative connotation.

"fictitious" / "assumed" / "fabricated" / "false" / "fancied" / "fictional" / "fictive" / "pretended" / "put on" / "sham"

A few examples:

Let's pretended to be robbers.

A decorative cover made to simulate an article of household linen and used over or in place of it: a pillow sham.

"That fantasy story was purely fictitious."

But:

"The collector made a "factious" (quarrelsome) remark to the "fatuous" (silly, inane) shopkeeper who tried to sell her a "factitious" (lacking authenticity) antique with a "fictitious" (invented) history."

I think that in every single case you have to keep a watch to the context.

Regards.

V.