ipso facto

adverb

ip·​so fac·​to ˈip-(ˌ)sō-ˈfak-(ˌ)tō How to pronounce ipso facto (audio)
: by that very fact or act : as an inevitable result

Examples of ipso facto in a Sentence

if we refuse to tolerate bigotry, do we become, ipso facto, as intolerant as those whom we condemn?
Recent Examples on the Web Therefore, logically speaking, ipso facto, acting should cause de-escalation. Foreign Affairs, 19 Oct. 2015 Since the operation was not vetoed, Adams must, ipso facto, have acquiesced. Amy Davidson Sorkin, The New Yorker, 3 Apr. 2023 Legal: The gift of the check was revoked ipso facto by the death of Grandmother, the donor. Dallas News, 11 Dec. 2022 And the principle remains that representing a malefactor isn’t, ipso facto, an act of malefaction. Kwame Anthony Appiah, New York Times, 28 Sep. 2022 Insufficient representation of specific racial groups in a freshman class, a company’s diversity report or the composition of its board for Securities and Exchange Commission disclosures, can all ipso facto reveal the absence of diversity. WSJ, 3 Nov. 2022 Next, the court pointed out that there were serious procedural flaws in the issuance of the garnishment summons, so severe in fact that the garnishment of the funds was ipso facto invalid and the funds would have to be returned to the LLC. Jay Adkisson, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2022 All articles that coruscate with resplendence are not, ipso facto, auriferous. Richard Lederer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Oct. 2021 Any disparity in disciplinary actions or enrollments is also ipso facto evidence of implicit racial bias. WSJ, 8 July 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ipso 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

New Latin, literally, by the fact itself

First Known Use

1548, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ipso facto was in 1548

Dictionary Entries Near ipso facto

Cite this Entry

“Ipso facto.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ipso%20facto. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Legal Definition

ipso facto

adverb
ip·​so fac·​to ˈip-sō-ˈfak-tō How to pronounce ipso facto (audio)
: by that very fact or act : as an inevitable result
drove the getaway car and was ipso facto an accessory
Etymology

New Latin, literally, by the fact itself

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