Literary notes about fictitious (AI summary)
The term "fictitious" in literature is employed to indicate that something is invented or constructed rather than drawn from real accounts. It is used variously to cast doubt on the authenticity of narratives or objects, as when Apicius questions the reality of a culinary matter [1], or when Plato’s discussion rests on premises that are understood to be fabricated [2]. In narrative works, it often serves as a cloak for pseudonymous identities, with characters and names adopting fictitious appellations to preserve privacy or add a layer of lore [3], [4], [5]. Beyond mere naming, authors use "fictitious" to delineate the boundary between imaginative realms and tangible existence—transitioning from the invented to the actual, as suggested in historical epics and philosophical treatises [6], [7]. Whether describing entire worlds, legal constructs, or artistic creations, the adjective imbues text with a deliberate blend of skepticism and creativity, inviting readers to navigate a space where reality and invention coexist.
- The Apician matter seems to be entirely fictitious.
— from Cookery and Dining in Imperial Rome by Apicius - And the conclusions drawn from them are sound, although the premises are fictitious.
— from The Republic of Plato by Plato - Among them I presently recognized the house of the father of Lem Hackett (fictitious name).
— from Life on the Mississippi by Mark Twain - At the counter of the hotel I tendered a hurriedly-invented fictitious name, with a miserable attempt at careless ease.
— from Life on the Mississippi by Mark Twain - ” “Which is evidently not his real name, but a fictitious one.”
— from The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas and Auguste Maquet - A revolution is a return from the fictitious to the real.
— from Les Misérables by Victor Hugo - It is like a new mythology; the purely fictitious idea has a certain parallelism and affinity to nature and moves in a human and familiar way.
— from The Life of Reason: The Phases of Human Progress by George Santayana
