science fiction

• science-fiction

From science +‎ fiction. First use appears c. 1851. See cite below.

• IPA^(key): /ˈsaɪəns ˌfɪkʃən/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Hyphenation: sci‧ence fic‧tion
• Rhymes: -ɪkʃən

science fiction (usually uncountable, plural science fictions)

1. Fiction in which advanced technology or science is a key element.

   Synonyms: scientific romance (dated), scientifiction (dated), sci-fi, SF, skiffy, stf

   Hypernyms: imaginative fiction, non-mimetic fiction, SF/F/H, speculative fiction

   Hyponyms: hard science fiction, proto-science fiction, soft science fiction

   Coordinate terms: fantasy, horror

   • 1851, William Wilson, A Little Earnest Book Upon a Great Old Subject:

     Now this applies especially to Science-Fiction, in which the revealed truths of Science may be given, interwoven with a pleasing story which may itself be poetical and true—thus circulating a knowledge of the Poetry of Science, clothed in a garb of the Poetry of Life.

   • 1975 April, Isaac Asimov, “How Easy to See the Future!”, in Natural History, volume 84, number 4, New York: American Museum of Natural History, →ISSN, page 92, column 2:

     Science fiction can be defined as that branch of literature which deals with the reaction of human beings to changes in science and technology.

   • 2025 November 17, Lauren Kunze, “The Sad and Dangerous Reality Behind ‘Her’”, in The New York Times‎^[1], New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC:

     When “Her” premiered in 2013, it fell firmly in the camp of science fiction. Today, the film, set prophetically in 2025, feels more like a documentary.

     (Can we archive this URL?)

2. (by extension) Technology that, while theoretically possible, is not yet practical.

   Despite decades of research, mass-market personal aircraft are still science fiction.

• science fact

science fiction

1. Of or pertaining to this genre.

• science fiction on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

< English science fiction

• IPA^(key): /ˈsɑi̯əns ˈfikʃən/, [ˈs̠ɑ̝i̯əns̠ ˈfikʃən]

science fiction

1. synonym of tieteiskirjallisuus (“science fiction”)

Unadapted borrowing from English science fiction.

• IPA^(key): /ˈsa.jɛns ˈfik.ʂɘn/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Syllabification: sci‧ence fic‧tion

science fiction n (indeclinable, abbreviation s.f. or SF)

1. (literature) science fiction (genre of fiction)

   Synonym: fantastyka naukowa

   elementy science fiction ― science fiction elements

2. (colloquial) something inconceivable, something incredible, something unbelievable

   polityczne science fiction ― political science fiction

   • 2013, “Łódź żyje Janowiczem. To jakieś „science fiction””, in Wprost‎^[2], archived from the original on 2 June 2015:

     – To dla nas jakieś science fiction. Nie wiemy, w jakim świecie żyjemy. To jest po prostu coś nieprawdopodobnego – mówi Ewa Nadel, prezes klubu, którego zawodnikiem jest Janowicz.

     “This is unbelievable. We don't know what world we live in. This is just something inconceivable,” says Ewa Nadel, president of the club whose player is Janowicz.

science fiction (not comparable, no derived adverb)

1. (literature, postpositive, relational) science fiction (genre of fiction)

   Synonym: fantastycznonaukowy

   opowiadanie science fiction ― science fiction short story

2. (postpositive) inconceivable, incredible, unbelievable

• science fiction I in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• science fiction II in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• science fiction in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Unadapted borrowing from English science fiction.

science fiction

1. science fiction

   Hennes favoritgenre var science fiction

   Her favorite genre was science fiction

• science fiction in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• science fiction in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)