fictionalizes

Fictionalizes is the third-person singular present tense of the verb fictionalize, meaning to present something as fiction or to alter real events or details to fit a fictional narrative. The term can describe creating invented elements, composites, or changed names, dates, or circumstances within a story that involves real people or events. The related noun is fictionalization (or fictionalisation).

In literary, film, and journalistic contexts, fictionalization often refers to adapting or reinterpreting real material for narrative purposes. This can include historical fiction, where authors reshape documented events to explore themes or character dynamics, or a biographical work that uses composite characters or dramatized scenes. Writers may fictionalize to preserve privacy, to streamline complex histories, or to enhance storytelling, but such practices can raise questions about accuracy, representation, and ethical responsibility. When a work is described as a “fictionalized account,” it signals that some elements are invented or altered rather than strictly factual.

Etymology and spelling: fictionalize derives from fiction, from Latin fictio “a feigning,” from fingere “to shape or feign.” American English typically uses -ize and -ization (fictionalize, fictionalization), while British English uses -ise and -isation (fictionalise, fictionalisation).

See also: historical fiction, biographical fiction, roman à clef, dramatization. The term emphasizes the boundary between fact and invention in narrative practice and the deliberate transformation of real material into fiction.