Definition of de facto
:in reality :actually
- became the leader de facto
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Origin and Etymology of de facto
Medieval Latin, literally, from the fact
Definition of de facto
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
with the death of his father, he became the de facto head of the family
Origin and Etymology of de facto
de facto Synonyms
Synonyms
concrete, actual, effective, existent, factual, genuine, real, sure-enough, true, veryAntonyms
conjectural, hypothetical, ideal, inexistent, nonexistent, platonic, possible, potential, suppositional, theoretical (also theoretic)Related Words
attested, authenticated, confirmed, demonstrated, established, proven, substantiated, valid, validated, verified; incontestable, incontrovertible, indisputable, indubitable, inescapable, irrefutable, undeniable, unquestionable; believable, convincing, literal, realistic, unmistakable, verifiable; authentic, bona fide, real-life, real-world; absolute, certain, final, hard, objective, palpable, positive, substantial, tangible; authoritative, certifiable, certifiedNear Antonyms
alleged, assumed, reputed, supposed; conceived, envisaged, envisioned, imagined, pictured, visualized; chimerical (also chimeric), fabled, fanciful, fictional, fictitious, illusory, legendary; fabricated, fake, imaginary, invented, made-up, make-believe, pretend, romantic; abstract, symbolic, unreal; virtualOther Legal Terms
Law Dictionary
Origin and Etymology of de facto
Medieval Latin, literally, from the fact
legal Definition of de facto
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
Learn More about de facto
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for de facto Nglish: Translation of de facto for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of de facto for Arabic speakers
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