fact

play

noun \ ˈfakt \

Definition of fact

1 :a thing done: such as

a obsolete :feat

b :crime

accessory after the fact

c archaic :action

2 archaic :performance, doing

3 :the quality of being actual :actuality

a question of fact hinges on evidence

4 a :something that has actual existence

space exploration is now a fact

b :an actual occurrence

prove the fact of damage

5 :a piece of information presented as having objective reality

These are the hard facts of the case.

— 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

Kids with type 1 diabetes can go on the field for batting practice, get a ball for players to sign, learn facts about diabetes and enjoy the game as guests of Marlins pitcher Dustin McGowan.

— jennifer jhon, South Florida Parenting, "What to do with the kids this weekend: Free zoo, bowling and crafts events," 30 Aug. 2017
The Justice Department also found shortcomings in the investigations of non-fatal police shootings, due in part to the fact that internal affairs does not participate in crime scene investigations.

— jsonline.com, "Trust damaged between Milwaukee police and community, Department of Justice draft report says," 30 Aug. 2017
In fact, during the 1950s, Texas would implement more new segregation laws than in any prior decade.

— mitchel p. roth, Smithsonian, "Desegregation Came Early at the Texas Prison Rodeo," 30 Aug. 2017
This is an astounding fact: already, the 2017 Royals have been shutout 13 times.

— sam mellinger, kansascity, "Mellinger Minutes: Royals scoreless streak, Chiefs running backs, NFL’s future," 29 Aug. 2017
To short-circuit the standard procedure is to consciously avoid facts that might show that clemency is unwarranted.

— the editors, National Review, "A Bad Pardon," 28 Aug. 2017
In fact, during the last 30 years, only Centennial (between 1991-96) and River Hill (2003-05) have managed a three-peat as boys soccer county champions.

— brent kennedy, Howard County Times, "Howard County boys soccer teams aiming to unseat Mt. Hebron," 27 Aug. 2017
This new 4K 60 frames per second video from Nvidia shows off that fact with panache.

— hayden dingman, PCWorld, "This week in games: KFC's creepy VR training, Anno 1800 revealed, Brink goes free-to-play," 25 Aug. 2017
In fact, Harry's first time in Africa was right after Diana passed away.

— erica gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "Did Prince Harry Propose to Meghan Markle on Their Vacation?," 24 Aug. 2017

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

Latin factum, from neuter of factus, past participle of facere — see factitious

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

See Words from the same year

fact Synonyms

Synonyms

actuality, factuality, materiality, reality

Antonyms

irreality, unreality

Related Words

authenticity, genuineness, truth, verity

Near Antonyms

fancy, fantasy (also phantasy), fiction, fictitiousness; dreaminess, surreality

FACT Defined for English Language Learners

fact

play

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

play

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