Entry Word: factual

Function: adjective

Meaning: 1 restricted to or based on fact <a factual biography of George Washington that scoffs at the story about the cherry tree>

Synonyms documentary, hard, historical, literal, matter-of-fact, nonfictional, objective, true

Related Words actual, authentic, genuine, real; documented, established; reliable, verifiable; demonstrable, provable; incontestable, incontrovertible, indisputable, irrefutable, undeniable, unquestionable; plain, simple, unexaggerated; certain, undoubted

Near Antonyms hypothetical, speculative, theoretical (also theoretic); fabulous, fanciful, imaginary, legendary, mythical (or mythic); embroidered, exaggerated

Antonyms fictional, fictionalized, fictitious, nondocumentary, nonhistorical

2 existing in fact and not merely as a possibility <a serious scientist, she is only interested in factual phenomena and lets others speculate about the hypothetical> — see actual