Fictionalized

Fictionalized is an adjective and past participle of the verb fictionalize. It describes something that has been altered or invented for purposes of fiction, while retaining some basis in reality, persons, or events. A fictionalized account presents real material in a narrative that includes invented elements, dramatized scenes, or composites rather than a strictly factual depiction.

Used across literature, film, theater, and journalism, fictionalization allows storytellers to fill gaps, simplify complex histories, or protect identities. In biographies or memoirs, a work may be described as fictionalized if it includes invented dialogue, composite characters, or reordered events that depart from strict chronology. The term signals that the work should not be treated as an exact historical record, even when it draws on real sources.

Fictionalized should be distinguished from wholly fictitious or fictitious. It is also distinct from documentary or fact-based formats; related terms include docudrama, faction, and composite character. The phrase is common in marketing and criticism, used to prime readers to expect narrative shaping rather than documentary precision.

See also: historical fiction, docudrama, composite character, fictional biography.