de facto

[dee fak-toh, dey]

adverb

1. in fact; in reality: They are forbidden from leaving the camp, thereby being de facto in a state of detention.

   Although his title was prime minister, he was de facto president of the country.

   They are forbidden from leaving the camp, thereby being de facto in a state of detention.

2. actually existing, especially when without lawful authority (de jure ).

   He led efforts to reduce de facto segregation in the city's public schools.

noun

1. Australia.,  a person who lives with someone in an intimate romantic relationship but is not married to that person.

de facto

/ deɪ ˈfæktəʊ /

adverb

1. in fact

adjective

1. existing in fact, whether legally recognized or not Compare de jure

   a de facto regime

noun

1. a de facto husband or wife

de facto

1. Something generally accepted or agreed to without any formal decision in its favor: “They never elected him; he became their leader de facto.” From Latin, meaning “in fact.” (Compare de jure.)

Word History and Origins

Origin of de facto¹

First recorded in 1595–1605; from Latin dē factō literally, “from the fact”

Word History and Origins

Origin of de facto¹

C17: Latin

Example Sentences

Jay, with his bouffant curly hair and preternatural ability to remember the smallest details, became a de facto musical matchmaker.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Under a ruling established at the time of Israel's creation in 1948, men who devote themselves full-time to studying sacred Jewish texts are given a de facto pass from mandatory military service.

Read more on Barron's

The country’s highest court said Friday that a lower appeals court had made an error in ruling that the family’s namesake Bollore holding company exerted de facto control over Vivendi.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

For the same reasons, I joined this petition asking for an end to the commission’s de facto tool for censorship.

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Sasaki missed most of his rookie MLB season with a shoulder injury, but returned late in the year and became the team’s de facto closer in the playoffs.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• existing