fact

noun \ ˈfakt \

Updated on: 10 Apr 2018

Definition of fact

1 a : something that has actual existence

space exploration is now a fact

b : an actual occurrence

prove the fact of damage

2 : a piece of information presented as having objective reality

These are the hard facts of the case.

3 : the quality of being actual : actuality

a question of fact hinges on evidence

4 : a thing done: such as

a : crime

accessory after the fact

b archaic : action

c obsolete : feat

5 archaic : performance, doing

— in fact

: in truth

He looks younger, but in fact, he is 60 years old.

See fact defined for English-language learners

See fact defined for kids

Examples of fact in a Sentence

Rapid electronic communication is now a fact.
The book is filled with interesting facts and figures.
He did it, and that's a fact.

Recent Examples of fact from the Web

No, the Heat were just bad in New York, terrible in fact.

— ira winderman, Sun-Sentinel.com, "ASK IRA: Heat still control No. 6, but is No. 7 now more in play?," 7 Apr. 2018
In fact the exercise bluntly compares employees’ pay without accounting for their differing roles—so Premier League football clubs have vast but meaningless pay gaps, as the men on the pitch are compared with the women on the turnstiles.

— The Economist, "How to narrow Britain’s gender-pay gap," 7 Apr. 2018
In fact, Ivey said Scarlett made the most of his time away.

— edgar thompson, OrlandoSentinel.com, "UF tailback Jordan Scarlett returns from suspension determined to prove himself," 7 Apr. 2018
In fact, North Carolinians, along with Virginians and South Carolinians, topped the list of immigrants to New York State.

— The Root, "Tracing Your Roots: Why Did My Family Bury the Past?," 6 Apr. 2018
However, if the aforementioned is in fact true, Bild may have robbed the world of the chance to witness one of the greats grace the biggest stage more often.

— SI.com, "World Cup Countdown: 11 Weeks to Go - 'Cruyff, Champagne and Naked Girls'," 6 Apr. 2018
So great, in fact, that listening to the podcast has a way of making even L.A. traffic seem more pleasant.

— brittany martin, Los Angeles Magazine, "LeVar Burton Would Like to Read You a Story," 6 Apr. 2018
Well, the sparkling, high-NRG pulse and flighty hooks that’ve made her a city-dweller’s staple may not, in fact, settle in well next to Florida Georgia Line and Chris Stapleton, even if there are fiddles.

— spencer kornhaber, The Atlantic, "Telling the Pop-Star-Goes-Country Story Again," 6 Apr. 2018
In fact, Khloé, 33, has mentioned it several times on the show.

— karen mizoguchi, PEOPLE.com, "Before Khloé Kardashian Gives Birth: A Look Back on How Kourtney Pulled Out Son Mason During Labor on KUWTK," 6 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'fact.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of fact

borrowed from Latin factum "deed, action, real event," noun derivative from neuter of factus, past participle of facere "to make, bring about, perform, do," going back to a suffixed form *dhh₁-k-i̯e- (with perfect fēcī from *dheh₁-k-) of Indo-European *dhh₁-, dheh₁- "put, place, make, do" — more at ¹do

Note: The extension *-k- has been compared with the Greek extended aorist éthēka "I placed" (corresponding to present títhēmi "I set, put, placed"), apparently parallel to Latin jaciō, jacere "to throw" and Greek hêka "I threw" (see ³jet); though the identity of the two formatives has been disputed.

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

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fact Synonyms

FACT Defined for English Language Learners

fact

noun

Definition of fact for English Language Learners

: something that truly exists or happens : something that has actual existence
: a true piece of information

FACT Defined for Kids

fact

noun \ ˈfakt \

Definition of fact for Students

1 : something that really exists or has occurred

Space travel is now a fact.

2 : a true piece of information

“I just know for a fact that she has a huge family to feed!”
—Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows

— in fact

: in truth : actually

She got there early and in fact she was earliest.

Law Dictionary

fact

noun

legal Definition of fact

1 : something that has actual existence : a matter of objective reality

2 : any of the circumstances of a case that exist or are alleged to exist in reality : a thing whose actual occurrence or existence is to be determined by the evidence presented at trial — see also finding of fact at finding, judicial notice, question of fact at question, trier of fact — compare law, opinion

— adjudicative fact

: a fact particularly related to the parties to an especially administrative proceeding — compare legislative fact in this entry

— collateral fact

: a fact that has no direct relation to or immediate bearing on the case or matter in question — compare material fact in this entry

— constitutional fact

: a fact that relates to the determination of a constitutional issue (as violation of a constitutional right) —used especially of administrative findings of fact

— evidentiary fact

: a fact that is part of the situation from which a case arises and that is established by testimony or other evidence — called also mediate fact, predicate fact; compare ultimate fact in this entry

— legislative fact

: a fact of general social, economic, or scientific relevance that does not change from case to case — compare adjudicative fact in this entry

— material fact

: a fact that affects decision making: as

a : a fact upon which the outcome of all or part of a lawsuit depends

b : a fact that would influence a reasonable person under the circumstances in making an investment decision (as in purchasing a security or voting for a corporate officer or action)

— mediate fact

: evidentiary fact in this entry

— predicate fact

: evidentiary fact in this entry

— ultimate fact \ˈəl-ti-mət-\

: a conclusion of law or especially mixed fact and law that is necessary to the determination of issues in a case and that is established by evidentiary facts — compare evidentiary fact in this entry

— in fact

: as a factual matter : established by fact rather than as a matter of law