de facto

[dee fak-toh, dey]

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.

noun

1. Australia.,  a person who lives with someone in an intimate romantic relationship but is not married to that person.

de facto

/ deɪ ˈfæktəʊ /

adverb

1. in fact

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

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.)

Word History and Origins

Origin of de facto¹

First recorded in 1595–1605; from Latin dē factō literally, “from the fact”

Word History and Origins

Origin of de facto¹

C17: Latin

Example Sentences

Earlier this year, a UN report said the TTP "receive substantial logistical and operational support from the de facto authorities", referring to the Taliban government in Kabul.

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Alongside him, serving as de facto general manager, was Jake Rosenberg, a consultant who had been a key member of the Philadelphia Eagles front office that built two Super Bowl champions.

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He extended many of DOGE’s funding cuts by slowing down OMB’s approval of disbursements — turning them into de facto freezes.

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Argentina being already de facto dollarized, the technical prerequisites are largely in place.

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China has become the de facto manufacturer of the world’s goods, owing not only to its enormous population of engineers, technicians and machinists but also its 2-million-plus army of industrial robots.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• existing