Skip to main content

science fiction — A genre of fiction that deals with imaginative concepts such as futuristic science and technology, space travel, time travel, parallel universes, and extraterrestrial life

Part of speech: NOUN

Definition: A genre of fiction that deals with imaginative concepts such as futuristic science and technology, space travel, time travel, parallel universes, and extraterrestrial life

Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈsaɪəns ˈfɪkʃən/

Example Sentences

  • My grandmother thinks smartphones are pure science fiction, even though she uses one to video call her cats
  • Isaac Asimov is considered one of the greatest science fiction authors of all time
  • The science fiction convention was full of people dressed as aliens, which made the actual aliens feel overdressed

science fiction

NOUN

[/ˈsaɪəns ˈfɪkʃən/]

A genre of fiction that deals with imaginative concepts such as futuristic science and technology, space travel, time travel, parallel universes, and extraterrestrial life

He devours another science fiction novel about colonizing distant planets.
💡 Concept

He devours another science fiction novel about colonizing distant planets.

Science fiction flows without friction, feeding her endless addiction
🎵 Rhyme

Science fiction flows without friction, feeding her endless addiction

Got the picture? Now let's practice.

🎤Pronunciation

🇺🇸 US/ˈsaɪəns ˈfɪkʃən/
🇬🇧 UK/ˈsaɪəns ˈfɪkʃən/

🌳Etymology

Rootscience
Suffix-fiction

Origin

The term was first used by British writer William Wilson in 1851, but gained widespread adoption in its modern form when Hugo Gernsback coined 'scientifiction' in 1929, which was subsequently shortened to 'science fiction'. Gernsback popularized the term through his science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, establishing it as the standard designation for the genre.

Breakdown

science (from Latin scientia, meaning 'knowledge') + fiction (from Latin fictio, meaning 'invention' or 'something made up'). The compound combines the concept of systematic knowledge with imaginative narrative.

🎵Rhyme

friction
diction
addiction

🔗Collocations

science fiction novel
hard science fiction
science fiction writer
science fiction movie
science fiction fan
classic science fiction

📝Examples

😄 Fun example

“My grandmother thinks smartphones are pure science fiction, even though she uses one to video call her cats”

“Isaac Asimov is considered one of the greatest science fiction authors of all time”

😄 Fun example

“The science fiction convention was full of people dressed as aliens, which made the actual aliens feel overdressed”

“Many modern technologies were first imagined in science fiction stories”

📚Related Words

Want to master 27,000+ words?

Sign up free for flashcards & quizzes.