DEFACTO Synonyms: 91 Similar and Opposite Words

de facto

adjective

Definition of de facto

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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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 See All Example Sentences for de facto

Recent Examples of Synonyms for de facto

Adjective

Watching games with base runners, tough at-bats and actual strategy by managers is much more enjoyable than strikeouts and home runs with no one on base.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
Desperate for actual contact with Holmes, Fielder has arranged to meet her briefly at the prison before Evans shows up.

— Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of actual

Adjective

While these tracks are endearing enough, Way Dynamic’s real magic sits at the juncture of folk and forlornness, when Young’s guitar is allowed to ramble and his regrets are sharp enough to bruise.

— Linnie Greene, Pitchfork, 20 Oct. 2026
These reactive oxygen species, or ROS, can do real damage to mitochondria, cells and organs.

— Rowan Jacobsen, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of real

Adjective

Despite those circumstances, Yusuf continued dispensing oxycodone to Llerena, according to the factual proffer.

— Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2026
In factual, Frow has welcomed big names to the network like Monty Python star Michael Palin, who has journeyed to North Korea and the Philippines for documentary series.

— Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of factual

Adjective

An invite-only Rocket Variant replaces standard features with a single-seat configuration and perimeter thrusters for true flight, rendering it non-road-legal.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2026
The counter-argument that these groups already get the same knowledge from Iran, which gets it from China, Russia, and North Korea, is largely true.

— Stephen Messer, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of true

Adjective

Lightbulb was also accompanied by a kilonova, a bright surge of radiation involving oodles of neutrons—the very kind that could kick-start the r-process and forge all those heavy elements.

— Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
The very creation of the industry was verging on the comic in its breakneck brio.

— Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of very

Browse Nearby Words

defacing

de facto

defalcation

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“De facto.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/de%20facto. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of de facto

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

jilt

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes