factual
Americanadjective
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of or relating to facts; concerning facts.
factual accuracy.
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based on or restricted to facts.
a factual report.
adjective
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of, relating to, or characterized by facts
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of the nature of fact; real; actual
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of factual
First recorded in 1825–35; fact + -ual, after actual or effectual
Explanation
If something is factual, it can be proven, like your mother's story about the bear that is factual because she took a picture of it standing next to the family car. Something factual is real. It is based in fact, meaning it can be proven, repeated or observed. In fact, fact is the root of the word factual, from the Latin word factum, meaning "event, occurrence." The factual part of a story is the part that really happened — the rest gets more outlandish every time someone tells it. Evidence makes something factual.
Vocabulary lists containing factual
TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
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Make Do: Fac
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The Real Deal: Synonyms for "True"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It did strike me as odd, however, that “Tony” is forged on a factual alteration that diverts Tony from the kitchen far too often — the movie’s cardinal sin.
From Salon ● Aug. 12, 2026
Energy Department officials maintain that Wright’s statements were factual.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
“When you sublet your judgment about facts and morals to a rigid ideology, you really surrender your ability to make real moral judgments, and also to make real factual judgments.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
He said the board also challenged some of the film's factual claims and warned it could trigger law-and-order problems in Punjab.
From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026
He seems to have an easier time with the truth serum when he answers factual questions instead of emotional ones.
From "Insurgent" by Veronica Roth
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
