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factitious

[ fak-tish-uhs ]
/ fækˈtɪʃ əs /
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adjective
not spontaneous or natural; artificial; contrived: factitious laughter; factitious enthusiasm.
made; manufactured: a decoration of factitious flowers and leaves.

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Origin of factitious

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

OTHER WORDS FROM factitious

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH factitious

1. facetious, factious, factitious 2. factitious , fictitious
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use factitious in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for factitious

factitious
/ (fækˈtɪʃəs) /

adjective
artificial rather than naturalfactitious demands created by the mass media
not genuine; shamfactitious enthusiasm

Derived forms of factitious

factitiously, adverbfactitiousness, noun

Word Origin for factitious

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