Literature Glossary
Don’t be an oxymoron. Know your literary terms.
Over 200 literary terms, Shmooped to perfection.
Nonfiction
Definition:
Nonfiction is a genre of writing that sticks to the facts.
But it's not that simple. See, nonfiction has more branches than Bank of America: biographies, arguments, histories, newspaper articles, movie reviews—those are all examples of nonfiction.
Maybe you've heard the terms literary nonfiction or creative fiction bandied about—you know, like in the locker room or at a monster truck rally. They both refer to the same thing: nonfiction that uses techniques that are more commonly found in fiction, like similes or dialogue. Travel writing, sports writing, and memoirs are all examples of literary, or creative, nonfiction. They're relaying facts, but they're doing so with style.