science fiction

noun

: fiction dealing principally with the impact of actual or imagined science on society or individuals or having a scientific factor as an essential orienting component
science-fictional adjective

Examples of science fiction in a Sentence

Time travel exists only in the realm of science fiction.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Bryant invited author Clint Waters to her shop for a reading of his science fiction and poetry, which feature LGBTQ+ themes. Diana Lambdin Meyer, USA Today, 7 June 2025 The selection covers a rich variety of narrative and aesthetic approaches, with a presence of comedies, genre and science fiction approaches, documentaries, and classic fiction works. Annika Pham, Variety, 3 June 2025 Bassett has demonstrated remarkable versatility, portraying historic figures including Rosa Parks and Betty Shabazz, while also embracing roles in action, drama, horror, and science fiction. Essence, 3 June 2025 Now, 46 years later, a hobbyist has shrunk down the system hardware to a size that would have seemed like science fiction in the 1970s. ArsTechnica, 3 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for science fiction

Word History

First Known Use

1898, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of science fiction was in 1898

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Science fiction.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/science%20fiction. Accessed 12 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

science fiction

noun
: fiction that deals with the influence of real or imagined science on society or individuals
science-fictional
ˈsī-ən(t)s-ˈfik-shnəl
-shən-ᵊl
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on science fiction

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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