de facto

[dee fak-toh, dey]

See more synonyms for de facto on Thesaurus.com

adverb, adjective

in fact; in reality: Although his title was prime minister, he was de facto president of the country. Although the school was said to be open to all qualified students, it still practiced de facto segregation.
actually existing, especially when without lawful authority (distinguished from de jure).

noun

Australian. a person who lives in an intimate relationship with but is not married to a person of the opposite sex; lover.

Origin of de facto

First recorded in 1595–1605, de facto is from the Latin word dē factō literally, from the fact

Can be confusedde facto de jure

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for de facto

existing, actual, factual, real, actually, really, tangible, truly, genuinely, veritably

Examples from the Web for de facto

Contemporary Examples of de facto

Others are suggesting a de-facto ban, accomplished either through a huge tax, or a ban on ammunition.
You Can't Save Gun Control With Word Games
Megan McArdle
December 19, 2012
The American F-15E went down in eastern Libya after midnight Tuesday about 25 miles east of Benghazi, the de-facto rebel capital.
U.S. Plane Crash in Libya: Exclusive New Details
Babak Dehghanpisheh
March 22, 2011
But we're going to hand them over to the National Council [the de-facto government in Benghazi] and they're going to follow up.
Libya's Hysteria Over African Mercenaries
Babak Dehghanpisheh
March 6, 2011
It was probably one of the only times in the history of a popular uprising that the people cheered on a de-facto military coup.
Mubarak Steps Down
Babak Dehghanpisheh
February 11, 2011
McCain is the de-facto leader of the opposition—a giant in a party of pygmies.
McCain's New Plot
John Avlon
February 2, 2009

British Dictionary definitions for de facto

de facto

adverb

in fact

adjective

existing in fact, whether legally recognized or nota de facto regime Compare de jure

noun plural -tos

Australian and NZ a de facto husband or wife

Word Origin for de facto

C17: Latin

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for de facto

Latin, literally "in fact, in reality," thus, "existing, but not necessarily legally ordained;" from facto, ablative of factum "deed, act" (see fact).

de facto in Culture

de facto

[(di fak-toh, day fak-toh)]

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.)