as in actual
existing in fact and not merely as a possibility
with the death of his father, he became the de facto head of the family
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Recent Examples of de facto
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
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
Beauty Turns Individuals into Communities Beauty salons and barber shops have traditionally played the role of de facto community centers in many places around the world.
—Stephan Rabimov, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2023
Pollard only lasted a handful of seasons, and in short order, the NFL erected its own de facto color barrier in 1933, thanks in large part to the efforts of George Preston Marshall, the then-Boston Redskins owner.
—Robert Silverman, Rolling Stone, 12 Feb. 2023
See All Example Sentences for de facto
Stuart Miller, Los Angeles Times, 28 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
Beauty Turns Individuals into Communities Beauty salons and barber shops have traditionally played the role of de facto community centers in many places around the world.
—Stephan Rabimov, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2023
Pollard only lasted a handful of seasons, and in short order, the NFL erected its own de facto color barrier in 1933, thanks in large part to the efforts of George Preston Marshall, the then-Boston Redskins owner.
—Robert Silverman, Rolling Stone, 12 Feb. 2023
See All Example Sentences for de facto
Recent Examples of Synonyms for de facto
Adjective
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While the audience members could still speak on the item about to be deferred, Rodriguez said, doing so would mean the public wouldn’t have the chance to address commissioners if the item ever came up for an actual vote at a future meeting.—
Douglas Hanks,
Miami Herald,
28 June 2025
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There’s an ongoing desire to see F1’s actual stars represent the diverse and vast makeup of its fans — is why Dent wrote her female main character as a woman F1 principal.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
28 June 2025
Adjective
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The person behind the schoolboy video, which defended Duterte, claimed to the news agency that the views shared were collected from real students.—
Cecilia Hult,
Fortune,
28 June 2025
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Jordan Campbell: What Filipe Luis has created at Flamengo is a real testament to what having a clear coaching vision can do.—
The Athletic Staff,
New York Times,
28 June 2025
Adjective
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This expansive series was edited by Paul E. Blackwood, a scientist and educator with the US Office of Education, who also wrote government bulletins and surveys on science education research As interest in children’s science books grew, many educators stressed the importance of factual accuracy.—
Jessica George,
JSTOR Daily,
25 June 2025
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Limited training data, large language model design and a lack of real-world experience can create responses that meet the best probable response instead of factual answers.—
Gaurav Basra,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2025
Adjective
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What’s the difference between something being emotionally true and factually true, and what should be valued more?—
Lexy Perez,
HollywoodReporter,
1 July 2025
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In true underworld fashion, García tried to shield himself from the fallout.—
Gina Montaner,
Miami Herald,
1 July 2025
Adjective
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To answer these questions, NPR interviewed top vaccine researchers — including some tasked with looking at the very issue raised by this study about the safety of the DTP vaccine.—
Gabrielle Emanuel,
NPR,
1 July 2025
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In fact, many clinicians have voluntarily migrated to direct-to-patient care models, such as direct primary care and direct specialty care, for these very reasons.—
Ge Bai,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“De facto.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/de%20facto. Accessed 6 Jul. 2025.
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