Factitiousness

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The state of being artificial or manufactured is often evident in the pretentiousness of certain behaviors or opinions, revealing an insincerity or lack of authenticity
2. A condition characterized by the creation of something false or misleading, which can manifest in social interactions or personal assertions, reflecting an underlying duplicity or affectation
3. The quality of being not genuine or true results in a constructed persona or deception that can affect the integrity of communications and relationships

Etymology: "Factitiousness" is simply "factitious" with the suffix "-ness" added, and it is the kind of word whose history lies almost entirely in its parts. The suffix "-ness" comes from Old English "-nes", which turned nouns into names for states or qualities, so that "good" gave "goodness" and "kind" gave "kindness." Attached to "factitious," it produces a noun naming the quality of being factitious. The base word "factitious" is the more interesting half. It came into English from the Latin "factitius," meaning artificial or made, and the Latin root "factus" comes from "facere," to make or do. The sense of something made rather than arising naturally is still visible in the word: a factitious result is one produced by artifice instead of by nature. Its shift toward meaning insincere or counterfeit came later, as made-up things came to be seen as false ones.