factitious

[ fak-tish-uhs ]
See synonyms for factitious on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. not spontaneous or natural; artificial; contrived: factitious laughter; factitious enthusiasm.

  2. made; manufactured: a decoration of factitious flowers and leaves.

Origin of factitious

1
First recorded in 1640–50, factitious is from the Latin word factīcius “made by art, artificial.” See fact, -itious

Other words from factitious

  • fac·ti·tious·ly, adverb
  • fac·ti·tious·ness, noun
  • non·fac·ti·tious, adjective
  • non·fac·ti·tious·ly, adverb
  • non·fac·ti·tious·ness, noun
  • o·ver·fac·ti·tious, adjective

Words that may be confused with factitious

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use factitious in a sentence

  • It is amusing, but has still to some tastes Pope's factitiousness without the technical charm of his verse to carry it off.

    A Letter Book | George Saintsbury
  • The ignorance of technique which they often show is not nearly so disheartening as the palpable factitiousness of their product.

    Literature and Life | William Dean Howells
  • Her replies were brief enough, and there was factitiousness in her smiles of assent to his views.

British Dictionary definitions for factitious

factitious

/ (fækˈtɪʃəs) /


adjective
  1. artificial rather than natural: factitious demands created by the mass media

  2. not genuine; sham: factitious enthusiasm

Origin of factitious

1
C17: from Latin factīcius, from facere to make, do

Derived forms of factitious

  • factitiously, adverb
  • factitiousness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012