Like the common words fact and factual, factitious ultimately comes from the Latin verb facere, meaning "to do" or "to make." But in current use, factitious has little to do with things factual …

FACTITIOUS definition: not spontaneous or natural; artificial; contrived. See examples of factitious used in a sentence.

Malingering and factitious disorders, where the symptoms are produced or feigned intentionally, are excluded.

There are four meanings listed in OED's entry for the adjective factitious, one of which is labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

Definition of factitious adjective in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

Dec 18, 2024 · Factitious disorder, previously called Munchausen syndrome, is a serious mental health condition in which people deceive others by pretending to be sick. They do this by …

Dec 14, 2025 · factitious (comparative more factitious, superlative most factitious) Created by humans; artificial. quotations

Factitious disorders happen when you pretend to be sick or have symptoms to make others believe you or someone in your care is ill.

factitious in American English (fækˈtɪʃəs ) adjective Origin: L facticius < pp. of facere, do 1 not natural, genuine, or spontaneous; forced or artificial

Factitious, pronounced "fac-TISH-us," means "fake," like a factitious compliment you give the person who cooked you an awful meal — you don't mean it, but you say it anyway, just to be …