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
-
So if a person thinks about moving their hand, the device reads those brain signals and turns them into an actual movement.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Mar. 2026
-
Rodin had last been there on December 28, 1949—the actual date of the visit.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
14 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
There are worse places to steal away for a work call back to the real world, or to finish a book.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Is that in any way a real check on Live Nation’s power?—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Whether this internal awareness constitutes the kind of corporate knowledge that supports liability is a central factual question for the jury to decide.—
Carolina Rossini,
The Conversation,
6 Mar. 2026
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Overall, responses were 18% less likely to contain factual mistakes.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
To make money talks less tense, prioritize choices that reflect your true worth.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
11 Mar. 2026
-
That has certainly been true of artificial intelligence.—
Rebecca Winthrop,
Washington Post,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The very name Langmuir-Blodgett films might inspire the curious among us to wonder who those two people were and look them up.—
Natalia Sánchez Loayza,
Scientific American,
13 Mar. 2026
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The 8th Annual Special saw the two characters host their own competing specials on separate feeds that didn’t sync up until the very end.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
13 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“De facto.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/de%20facto. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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