Nonfactual

Nonfactual refers to information, statements, or content that does not claim to reflect or describe actual facts or events. The term is used across disciplines including linguistics, media studies, and information policy. In linguistics, nonfactual describes statements about hypothetical, counterfactual, or nonactual situations, such as conditional clauses or subjunctive moods that do not assert real circumstances. In media and communications, nonfactual content includes fiction, satire, fantasy, parody, rumors, and opinion pieces that do not claim to be verified factual reporting. Distinguishing nonfactual from factual content can be challenging, because some nonfactual material conveys real-world information within a fictional frame or uses speculative interpretation of actual events.

Common categories include fiction (novels, films, plays), satire and parody, speculative or hypothetical discourse, and content marketed as opinion or analysis without explicit factual verification. In journalism and policy contexts, labels such as fiction, satire, or nonfactual help audiences assess veracity. Nonfactual does not automatically imply misinformation; it indicates the intended relation to reality is nonactual. However, presenting nonfactual material as factual can spread false beliefs, so tagging and context are important for media literacy.

See also: fiction, satire, counterfactuals, misinformation, media literacy.