de facto
[ dee -fak-toh, dey ]
/ di ˈfæk toʊ, deɪ /
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adverb, adjective
in fact; in reality: 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.
actually existing, especially when without lawful authority (distinguished from de jure): He led efforts to reduce de facto segregation in the city's public schools.
noun
Australia. a person who lives with someone in an intimate romantic relationship but is not married to that person.
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Origin of de facto
First recorded in 1595–1605, de facto is from Latin dē factō literally, “from the fact”
WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH de facto
de facto , de jureWords nearby de facto
Deet, deets, de-excite, def, deface, de facto, de facto segregation, defaecate, defalcate, defalcation, defamation
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for de facto
British Dictionary definitions for de facto
de facto
/ (deɪ ˈfæktəʊ) /
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
Cultural definitions for de facto
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.)
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.