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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of factual
Irrespective of factual accuracy, these online creators all play a leading role in shaping people’s understanding of health and medicine.
—
Alexa Lee, STAT, 27 Jan. 2026
Buried is commissioned by Jack Bootle, head of commissioning for specialist factual and Nick Andrews, head of commissioning for BBC Cymru Wales.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 26 Jan. 2026
For decades, assessors across California have exercised reasonable and uniform judgment in applying it, guided by State Board of Equalization (BOE) advice, local building standards, and the factual circumstances of each rebuild.
—Jeffrey Prang, Daily News, 23 Jan. 2026
The Miami Heat identified them as having been stolen from their facility, the factual proffer said.
—Angie Dimichele, Sun Sentinel, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for factual
Alexa Lee, STAT, 27 Jan. 2026
Buried is commissioned by Jack Bootle, head of commissioning for specialist factual and Nick Andrews, head of commissioning for BBC Cymru Wales.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 26 Jan. 2026
For decades, assessors across California have exercised reasonable and uniform judgment in applying it, guided by State Board of Equalization (BOE) advice, local building standards, and the factual circumstances of each rebuild.
—Jeffrey Prang, Daily News, 23 Jan. 2026
The Miami Heat identified them as having been stolen from their facility, the factual proffer said.
—Angie Dimichele, Sun Sentinel, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for factual
Recent Examples of Synonyms for factual
Adjective
-
Putin thought a window of opportunity had finally emerged, such that in those historical assessments Ukraine will follow from Afghanistan much as Poland in 1939 followed from Munich in 1938.—
Bradley Gitz,
Arkansas Online,
16 Feb. 2026
-
While the property isn’t within walking distance of most historical sites, guests can rent bikes from local vendors (like Bike Nevis) or hire a taxi to get around.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Because this is an actual converted home, no two rooms are exactly alike, though they have been divided into three categories based on size.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
21 Feb. 2026
-
And the medium, as you guys know, gives you an opportunity to really go deeper on issues and also to talk like an actual human being as opposed to a talking points machine.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
While one film uses a documentary style to show artifice, the other uses artificial intelligence to show something viscerally real.—
Zachary Fine,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Under the directive, documentary proof of citizenship would be required to register to vote.—
Kaia Hubbard,
CBS News,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
This maneuver required immense torque and real-time motion control to avoid collisions.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Once Tyler and Beau got there to Victory Lane, right before the confetti popped and rained down and reminded Reddick that yes, this was real, and yes, Jordan was bear-hugging him, and yes, a childhood dream had come true — a new memory took place.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
And considering this chic, spring-ready jacket has been on my wishlist for literal months, now might be the time to finally pull the trigger.—
Kaelin Dodge,
InStyle,
19 Feb. 2026
-
These stories reveal how movement, both literal and metaphorical, can propel the ongoing work of self-actualization.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
But despite his characteristic command and media savvy, Jackson’s campaign never gained true momentum, scoring mixed results.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
-
This, however, is not true of US Skimo, which has been rapidly professionalizing as a governing body since the sport was announced as a future Winter Olympic event back in 2021.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Significant experiment The effort is part of the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment, a nonfictional experiment with detectors that will be immersed in huge baths of cryogenic liquid argon, which is going the opposite direction — down.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Jan. 2026
-
But what was more interesting to me are those who aren’t fantasizing about being in a fictional world, but who are fantasizing about being a different reader, in a more secure nonfictional world.—
James Folta,
Literary Hub,
13 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Factual.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/factual. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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