de facto

American  

[dee fak-toh, dey] / di ˈfæk toʊ, deɪ /

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.

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noun

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

de facto British  

/ deɪ ˈfæktəʊ /

adverb

1. in fact

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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 Cultural  

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.)

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Etymology

Origin of de facto

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

Example Sentences

By 2015 her party had won the first free election since 1960, and she was de facto leader of the country.

From BBC

But more recently, China has stopped making such calls publicly, opting to instead push for a “fair and impartial” approach toward peace on the Korean Peninsula—suggesting Beijing won’t contest Pyongyang’s de facto nuclear status.

From The Wall Street Journal

Now Venezuela’s de facto leader, Rodríguez is a socialist who rose through the ranks—serving first with socialist President Hugo Chávez and then with Maduro in a number of roles.

From The Wall Street Journal

In recent months, U.S. enforcement actions against Venezuelan oil tankers, including seizures and a de facto blockade, have sharply curtailed exports, at times cutting them roughly in half.

From Barron's

The U.S. military’s Indo-Pacific Command and the American Institute in Taiwan, the de facto U.S. embassy in Taipei, didn’t respond to requests for comment.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• existing