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

Green, in a guest column for SI.com, said the notion that current officials are anything but de facto full-time employees is a myth — even though most hold down other careers while continuing to work NFL games.

From Los Angeles Times

The impact of the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz has already led governments to take exceptional measures, like the Philippines which has declared a national energy emergency, Maynier noted.

From Barron's

Unlike some of its neighbours, Indonesia has not seen long fuel queues as global oil prices have soared due to Iran's de facto closure of the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

From Barron's

The peacekeeping force patrols the "Blue Line" - the de facto border between Lebanon and Israel, in collaboration with the Lebanese army.

From BBC

This crisis has been further worsened by the de facto fuel blockade.

From BBC

Related Words

• existing