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

Known by his initials, MBS, the crown prince is Saudi Arabia's de facto leader and a controversial figure.

From BBC

Wilson-Youngblood told Salon that screenings of “The Librarians” in the north Texas area have turned into de facto community organizing events due to the “conversations and connections that are formed.”

From Salon

Other message indicate that Lord Mandelson forwarded internal government information to Jeffrey Epstein when he was Brown's business secretary and de facto deputy prime minister.

From BBC

When Belichick was the de facto general manager, the Patriots earned a reputation for being economical.

From The Wall Street Journal

Earlier in his career, he wavered on taking up a role as a de facto spokesperson.

From Barron's

Related Words

• existing