de facto
in fact; in reality: 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.
actually existing, especially when without lawful authority (distinguished from de jure): He led efforts to reduce de facto segregation in the city's public schools.
Australia. a person who lives with someone in an intimate romantic relationship but is not married to that person.
Origin of de facto
1Words that may be confused with de facto
- de facto , de jure
Words Nearby de facto
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use de facto in a sentence
The urgent need for economic relief to keep small—and not-so-small—businesses afloat has turned restaurateurs, chefs, and servers into de facto activists for their own livelihoods.
Race and ethnicity are major de facto components of gentrification, as the communities that tend to get displaced are disproportionately communities of color, but the issue can extend beyond racial inequality.
The Stages of Gentrification, as Told by Restaurant Openings | Vince Dixon | September 30, 2020 | EaterWithout a public, rules-based alternative, eWTP could become the de facto global platform for digital trade, with no democratic mandate or oversight.
How democracies can claim back power in the digital world | Amy Nordrum | September 29, 2020 | MIT Technology ReviewRothstein sets de jure segregation against de facto segregation, which is the result of private actions and personal choices.
Should America (and FIFA) Pay Reparations? (Ep. 426) | Stephen J. Dubner | July 16, 2020 | Freakonomics“We are already behind the de facto firewall,” said Charles Mok, a lawmaker representing the technology sector, in a tweet.
The central issue is de facto immunity traditionally given to bishops and cardinals.
The language of this bill is a de facto abortion ban for most pregnant federal prisoners.
Any news group that aims for the elusive ideal of objectivity is de facto liberal, in their view.
Pew Study: Americans Are Self-Segregating Amid Proliferating Partisan Media | John Avlon | October 21, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTUse him as the poster child for a nasty, devilish lobbying group being the de facto fourth branch of government.
Politico reported over the weekend that Sharpton is the de facto liaison for the White House regarding the shooting in Ferguson.
They thought of them most in their lay capacity of de facto Government agents all over the Islands.
The Philippine Islands | John ForemanWe dismiss it without further comment—and with it Colonization in toto—and Mr. Birney de facto.
We are inclined to turn from them to the intellectual monarchs de facto.
Humanly Speaking | Samuel McChord CrothersThe emperor de facto might be viewed under two aspects; there was the man, and there was the office.
The Ontario Readers: The High School Reader, 1886 | Ministry of EducationMrs. Morton did not object to a nephew de facto, she only objected to a nephew in forma pauperis.
Night and Morning, Complete | Edward Bulwer-Lytton
British Dictionary definitions for de facto
/ (deɪ ˈfæktəʊ) /
in fact
existing in fact, whether legally recognized or not: a de facto regime Compare de jure
Australian and NZ a de facto husband or wife
Origin of de facto
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Cultural definitions for de facto
[ (di fak-toh, day fak-toh) ]
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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