factual
Americanadjective
-
of or relating to facts; concerning facts.
factual accuracy.
-
based on or restricted to facts.
a factual report.
adjective
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of, relating to, or characterized by facts
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of the nature of fact; real; actual
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of factual
First recorded in 1825–35; fact + -ual, after actual or effectual
Explanation
If something is factual, it can be proven, like your mother's story about the bear that is factual because she took a picture of it standing next to the family car. Something factual is real. It is based in fact, meaning it can be proven, repeated or observed. In fact, fact is the root of the word factual, from the Latin word factum, meaning "event, occurrence." The factual part of a story is the part that really happened — the rest gets more outlandish every time someone tells it. Evidence makes something factual.
Vocabulary lists containing factual
TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
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Make Do: Fac
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The Real Deal: Synonyms for "True"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The company told me that it’s “pleased with the analysis” and added, “we regularly provide data to credible and verified third-party research firms and institutes to ensure accuracy and factual representation in any public reporting.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
In this case, the government had to overcome the district court’s factual findings about the unfairness of the rule.
From Slate ● Sep. 15, 2026
At the time of the Observer investigation, publishing house Penguin said it "undertook all the necessary pre-publication due diligence", including a contract with an author warranty about factual accuracy, and a legal read.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
“When you sublet your judgment about facts and morals to a rigid ideology, you really surrender your ability to make real moral judgments, and also to make real factual judgments.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
In later years she regretted not being more factual, not providing herself with a store of raw material.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
