1
as in historical
restricted to or based on fact
a factual biography of George Washington that scoffs at the story about the cherry tree
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in actual
existing in fact and not merely as a possibility
a serious scientist, she is only interested in factual phenomena and lets others speculate about the hypothetical
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of factual
Everything that LaFleur said was factual and taking responsibility for his poor coaching performance was a must.
—
Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Sep. 2025
Don’t just measure generic metrics like accuracy; identify what matters most for your specific application, whether that’s relevance, factual correctness or helpfulness for your users.
—Sebastian Crossa, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
After the property sale, Graham started fleecing his mother while transferring money from her New York bank and brokerage accounts into his own checking account in Miami, according to a factual statement filed with his plea agreement.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 17 Sep. 2025
The problem here is that in the real world, factual accuracy is the bedrock of journalism, and objectivity would be a close second.
—Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for factual
Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Sep. 2025
Don’t just measure generic metrics like accuracy; identify what matters most for your specific application, whether that’s relevance, factual correctness or helpfulness for your users.
—Sebastian Crossa, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
After the property sale, Graham started fleecing his mother while transferring money from her New York bank and brokerage accounts into his own checking account in Miami, according to a factual statement filed with his plea agreement.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 17 Sep. 2025
The problem here is that in the real world, factual accuracy is the bedrock of journalism, and objectivity would be a close second.
—Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for factual
Recent Examples of Synonyms for factual
Adjective
-
The 7% rule refers to the historical average annual return of the stock market.—
Andreina Rodriguez,
CNBC,
1 Oct. 2025
-
What’s being erased are actual historical facts.—
The Editors,
JSTOR Daily,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Since some people recover from listeriosis without medical attention and never get tested, the CDC estimates that the actual number of people ill is probably substantially higher than reported, and that the outbreak may not be restricted to the states shown below.—
Janet Loehrke,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
-
For a 2022 trip to Egypt for the COP27 conference, the budget accounted for $90,000 in airfare costs, but actual credit card expenses were at least $200,000.—
Kayla Dwyer,
IndyStar,
2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
It was originally recorded for a documentary film on Kirk that was being made, but the director died, and the tapes with the original engineer in storage for the next 62 years, until now.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Deadline’s virtual fall screening series For the Love of Docs kicks off its sixth season tonight with Antidote, the documentary thriller about Christo Grosev, the investigative journalist pursued around the world by the Kremlin.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Will his shooting and floater game give enough offensive jolt to add some real spacing around a roster that, even with Kevin Durant, seems notably deficient in terms of spacing?—
John Hollinger,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Come for some of the best actresses of our time as power-hungry witches; stay for Stevie Nicks' cameo as a real one.—
James Mercadante,
Entertainment Weekly,
1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
What’s happening at a literal level?—
Lauren Michele Jackson,
New Yorker,
5 Oct. 2025
-
The Wellipets collaboration marked Anderson’s most literal play on memory.—
Maggie Clancy,
Footwear News,
3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Watching my great-grandmother, grandmother, mother and aunt serve as loyal members of this sorority shaped my understanding of what true sisterhood and service look like.—
Essence,
Essence,
3 Oct. 2025
-
With markets looking unperturbed, that might turn out true sooner if nothing serious comes in the way of the bulls.—
Yeo Boon Ping,
CNBC,
3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Recently, this sacrament has garnered nonfictional attention.—
Timothy Gabrielli,
The Conversation,
25 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Factual.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/factual. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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