de facto

1 of 2

adverb

de fac·​to di-ˈfak-(ˌ)tō 

dā-,

dē-

: in reality : actually

became the leader de facto

de facto

2 of 2

adjective

1

: actual

especially : being such in effect though not formally recognized

a de facto state of war

Whatever it says on the calendar, Florida has de facto summer.

—E. L. Konigsburg

has become the movement's de facto spokesperson

2

: exercising power as if legally constituted

a de facto government

the de facto head of state

3

: resulting from economic or social factors rather than from laws or actions of the state

de facto segregation

Synonyms

Adjective

• actual
• real
• factual
• true
• very

Examples of de facto in a Sentence

Adjective

with the death of his father, he became the de facto head of the family

Recent Examples on the Web

Adverb

Much of this risk to hospitals is not captured by flood maps issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which have served as the nation’s de facto tool for flood estimation for half a century, despite being incomplete and sometimes decades out of date. —CNN Money, 5 Oct. 2025

But sometimes the screenplay awards are de facto consolation prizes, and Belfast was an early-season favorite and seven-time nominee that had faded down the stretch. —Joe Reid, Vulture, 4 Oct. 2025

Adjective

But many supported the move and came to regard it as a de facto safe consumption site, a model that exists in cities around the world and in New York, where people can use drugs in a supervised setting. —Trisha Thadani, San Francisco Chronicle, 17 Mar. 2023

The trend has accelerated under the kingdom’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, amid U.S. criticism of Saudi human-rights violations. —Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 Mar. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Adverb

borrowed from Medieval Latin, literally, "from the fact"

Adjective

derivative of de facto entry 1

First Known Use

Adverb

1601, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

circa 1689, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Legal Definition

de facto

1 of 2 adverb

de fac·​to di-ˈfak-tō, dā-, dē- 

: in reality : actually

these two constraints have been lifted, one de facto and one de jure

—Susan Lee

de facto

2 of 2 adjective

1

: actual

especially : being such in effect though not formally recognized see also de facto segregation at segregation

2

: exercising power as if legally constituted or authorized

a de facto government

a de facto judge

compare de jure

Etymology

Adverb

Medieval Latin, literally, from the fact