factual
Americanadjective
-
of or relating to facts; concerning facts.
factual accuracy.
-
based on or restricted to facts.
a factual report.
adjective
-
of, relating to, or characterized by facts
-
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)
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Make Do: Fac
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Real Deal: Synonyms for "True"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
The agent is fictional, the heroes were erased, and just about the only thing I found factual was the re-creation of Kaczynski’s mailbox.
From Salon ● Oct. 4, 2026
Spencer has issued an apology for the factual error but says he stands by the rest of the book.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026
The company told me that it’s “pleased with the analysis” and added, “we regularly provide data to credible and verified third-party research firms and institutes to ensure accuracy and factual representation in any public reporting.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
In this case, the government had to overcome the district court’s factual findings about the unfairness of the rule.
From Slate ● Sep. 15, 2026
But by straining to recover the factual ingredients in the story, we have inadvertently ignored the most obvious question—namely, what were these two prominent American statesmen doing on the ledge in the first place?
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
