1
as in historical
restricted to or based on fact
a factual biography of George Washington that scoffs at the story about the cherry tree
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in actual
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of factual
Bomanbridge, which is headquartered in Singapore with an additional office in London, brings a catalogue exceeding 5,700 hours across factual, wildlife, history, lifestyle and scripted genres.
—
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 4 June 2026
The venture brings together two of the Netherlands‘ most innovative and successful indie doc and factual players.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 3 June 2026
The judge reasoned that there remain factual disputes for jurors to weigh.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 2 June 2026
Plus, on an expressly factual level, any telling of American journalism in the early and mid 20th century that doesn’t include them—and more broadly, the real proportions of women working in the era—is a false telling.
—Literary Hub, 1 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for factual
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 4 June 2026
The venture brings together two of the Netherlands‘ most innovative and successful indie doc and factual players.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 3 June 2026
The judge reasoned that there remain factual disputes for jurors to weigh.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 2 June 2026
Plus, on an expressly factual level, any telling of American journalism in the early and mid 20th century that doesn’t include them—and more broadly, the real proportions of women working in the era—is a false telling.
—Literary Hub, 1 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for factual
Recent Examples of Synonyms for factual
Adjective
-
Leveraging technology to render complete 3D worlds based on meticulous historical research, the exhibition is much more than panels on a wall.—
Penny E Schwartz,
Oc Register,
21 June 2026
-
The volatility component seeks stocks with a lower 36-month historical return volatility.—
Bill Stone,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2026
Adjective
-
The Aman Beverly Hills, currently under construction and expected to open in 2028, will supposedly not only include a full luxe floor for plastic surgery recovery but actual operating rooms, a private garden just for patients and surgeons on call.—
Merle Ginsberg,
HollywoodReporter,
19 June 2026
-
But what about the actual ceremony?—
Allison DeGrushe,
StyleCaster,
19 June 2026
Adjective
-
Paul Dugdale directed, with documentary segments from Farah X, and Live Nation Studios produced.—
Hannah Abraham,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2026
-
Billy Ray Brewton, Sav Rodgers, Brittany Shyne served on the documentary jury.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
21 June 2026
Adjective
-
Not only without the ball, their were moments of real quality when Cape Verde recovered possession, zipping the ball around the Spanish pressure and often looking to play their way out with short passes into midfield.—
Thom Harris,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
-
In the scientific community, there are a few outliers, but by and large, there’s a pretty universal agreement among scientists that the climate crisis is real and important.—
Joseph Howlett,
Scientific American,
16 June 2026
Adjective
-
The star of upcoming The Odyssey arrived in a literal Trojan horse to sneak onto the stage.—
Denise Petski,
Deadline,
19 June 2026
-
Food can cross borders both literal and figurative, even when people cannot.—
Ashley Rose Young,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
18 June 2026
Adjective
-
Life comes at you fast, and that could not be truer in the world of baseball.—
Stephen J. Nesbitt,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
-
This is certainly true—and a rather banal truism.—
The Atlantic,
The Atlantic,
16 June 2026
Adjective
-
Pee-Wee as Himself, the 2025 Emmy award winner for best documentary or nonfictional special, is also among the nominees.—
Brande Victorian,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Apr. 2026
-
That delirious excess befits the essence of Lapid’s method, which is a fusion of fiction with indigestibly and irreducibly nonfictional elements.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Factual.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/factual. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
