de facto

1 of 2

adverb

de fac·​to di-ˈfak-(ˌ)tō How to pronounce de facto (audio)
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

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
The de facto reunion comes as Timberlake looks to shed some recent criticism. August Brown, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2024 Melding real subjects with a dramatized visual approach grants de facto permission for mood, tone and atmosphere to become key drivers of Moser’s cinematic experience, as opposed to charging out the gate with an academic mission statement. Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 9 Mar. 2024 Other independents, such as Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Angus King, I-Me., are widely viewed as de facto Democrats. Ronald J. Hansen, The Arizona Republic, 7 Mar. 2024 In 2019, after operating as Momofuku’s de facto chief since its inception, founder and chef Chang wanted to shift his focus to the culinary and media sides of the business—as well as his TV-hosting duties. Jasmine Li, Fortune, 7 Mar. 2024 And some, especially those who champion former president Donald Trump’s de facto alliance with Israel’s right-wing prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right coalition, resent Biden’s symbolic gestures to restore balance to U.S.-Israeli relations. Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 5 Mar. 2024 The extent to which a partnership with a for-profit corporation, in pursuit of research and development in an expensive and resource intensive area of technology like AI, is de facto against the public interest—or the interest of humanity—is an open question. Andrew Leahey, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 And things could be much worse than having Idris Elba as your surprise de facto host. Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 25 Feb. 2024 Just a dozen remain, including Blackthorne, now their de facto leader, when they’re found and rescued—and then promptly imprisoned—by the Japanese. Erik Kain, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024
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 The portal has brought about de facto unfettered free agency in major college football and basketball. Christopher L. Gasper, BostonGlobe.com, 11 Mar. 2023 Senior centers across the country function as de facto community centers. Eliza Fawcett, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2023 The 16 women who had challenged the status quo, most notably Nancy Hopkins, the reluctant de facto leader, were thrilled but eager to return to their roles as elite scientists. Stuart Miller, Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2023 Another item in the package extends the de facto period of service for individuals serving on local boards and commissions beyond a looming February deadline and into April. Zachariah Hughes, Anchorage Daily News, 21 Jan. 2023 Previously, Disney had de facto control of the board as the district's largest landowner. Rob Wile, NBC News, 10 Feb. 2023 The measure received unanimous support in the House and Senate and drew Taiwan’s de facto ambassador in the U.S., Hsiao Bi-khim, to both chambers Thursday. Laura Vozzella, Washington Post, 20 Feb. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'de facto.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of de facto was in 1601

Dictionary Entries Near de facto

Cite this Entry

“De facto.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/de%20facto. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Legal Definition

de facto

1 of 2 adverb
: in reality : actually
these two constraints have been lifted, one de facto and one de jureSusan 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

More from Merriam-Webster on de facto

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