easy
The book about bees is nonfiction.
What does Nonfiction mean?
Nonfiction means writing or media that presents real people, events, facts, or ideas.
Dictionary definition
Nonfiction is writing, film, or other media that presents information about real people, places, events, and ideas rather than invented stories. It includes forms such as biography, memoir, history, journalism, essays, and science writing. Nonfiction can use narrative techniques, but it is expected to represent its subject truthfully and distinguish evidence from invention.
Example sentences
Nonfiction in a sentence
medium
Students used nonfiction articles to research local wildlife.
medium
A memoir is nonfiction told from the writer’s memory and point of view.
hard
Narrative nonfiction can tell a true story with scenes and dialogue supported by evidence.
hard
Readers should still check an author’s sources because the label nonfiction does not guarantee that every claim is correct.
Writing practice
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Quick practice
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Practice the meaning of Nonfiction
Answer three quick questions about its meaning and related words.
Question 1 of 3
Practice 1
What does nonfiction mean?
Nonfiction presents a real-world subject rather than an invented story.
Practice 2
Which book is most clearly nonfiction?
A biography presents a real person’s life and is a common form of nonfiction.
Practice 3
Choose the best word: The author used scenes and dialogue, but the researched account remained ____ because its people and events were real.
Narrative techniques can make nonfiction engaging without turning a factual account into fiction.
Practice complete
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Pronunciation coach
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Nonfiction
Voice settings
Sounds like
non · fik · shun · strongest beat: fik
Tap each sound part, then blend the whole word together.
Learn
WordNonfiction.
Partnoun.
MeaningNonfiction means writing or media that presents real people, events, facts, or ideas.
ExampleExample: The book about bees is nonfiction.
Word breakdown
3 syllables. Say each part, then blend the word.
- Syllables
- non · fik · shun
- Strongest beat
- fik
- Ending
- shun
- Tip
- Put a little extra energy on fik.
Your turn
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Nice work—you practiced nonfiction.
Synonyms
Words like Nonfiction
factual writingA close plain-language description for nonfiction writing, though nonfiction includes many forms and purposes.
informational textClose in many classroom contexts, especially for texts designed to explain a subject.
factual literatureClose when referring to published prose based on real people, events, and information.
Antonyms
Opposite words
fictionThe direct contrasting category when writing or media is primarily created from imagined characters or events.
Synonym practice
Want to practice nonfiction synonyms in context? Try a Synonym Search question like "The nonfiction book explained how volcanoes form," then compare close word choices. Practice nonfiction synonyms.
Word family
Nonfiction word family
Base word
nonfiction
adjective
nonfictional
Based on or belonging to nonfiction rather than an invented story.
noun
non-fiction
Hyphenated spelling variant; nonfiction is the usual closed spelling in American English, while both forms appear internationally.
Related words
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Student support
Understand Nonfiction
Hint for students
Ask whether the work presents real people, events, facts, or ideas and whether its claims can be checked against evidence.
Common mix-up
Nonfiction is not automatically neutral or error-free. Authors select, organize, and interpret real information, so readers should consider evidence, sources, purpose, and point of view. A true account may also use storytelling techniques and still be nonfiction.
Try it in class or at home
Sort six short book descriptions into fiction and nonfiction, then identify which nonfiction examples are biography, memoir, journalism, history, or science writing. Explain the evidence for each choice.
Teacher prompt
Compare informational nonfiction with narrative nonfiction. What stays the same even when a true account uses scenes, character development, or dialogue?
Word Wheel
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Learning activities
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Synonym Search
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Scrambled Bees
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