Synonyms of de facto

de facto

adjective

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• actual
• real
• factual
• true
• very
• genuine
• effective
• concrete
• final
• literal
• existent
• valid
• sure-enough
• bona fide
• proven
• indisputable
• absolute
• substantial
• demonstrated
• unquestionable
• inescapable
• unmistakable
• realistic
• confirmed
• objective
• undeniable
• positive
• established
• certain
• tangible
• convincing
• validated
• authentic
• substantiated
• incontestable
• irrefutable
• real-life
• indubitable
• incontrovertible
• believable
• real-world
• verifiable
• authenticated
• authoritative
• palpable
• certified
• attested
• verified
• hard
• certifiable

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• potential
• possible
• hypothetical
• theoretical
• ideal
• nonexistent
• platonic
• alleged
• conjectural
• supposed
• assumed
• suppositional
• fictional
• legendary
• fictitious
• illusory
• fanciful
• envisioned
• reputed
• inexistent
• romantic
• chimerical
• imaginary
• conceived
• visualized
• imagined
• pictured
• fabled
• invented
• envisaged
• fake
• unreal
• symbolic
• make-believe
• abstract
• virtual
• pretend
• fabricated
• made-up

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of de facto

The portal has brought about de facto unfettered free agency in major college football and basketball. — Christopher L. Gasper, BostonGlobe.com, 11 Mar. 2023

Senior centers across the country function as de facto community centers. — Eliza Fawcett, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2023

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

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