de facto

noun

in fact; in reality: Although his title was prime minister, he was de facto president of the country. Although the school was said to be open to all qualified students, it still practiced de facto segregation.

actually existing, especially when without lawful authority ( distinguished from de jure ).

Australian. a person who lives in an intimate relationship with but is not married to a person of the opposite sex; lover.

Origin:
1595–1605; < Latin dē factō literally, from the fact

Can be confused: de facto, de jure.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source

Link To de facto

Collins

World English Dictionary

de facto (deɪ ˈfæktəʊ)

—*adv*
1.	in fact

—*adj*
2.	Compare de jure existing in fact, whether legally recognized or not: a de facto regime

—n , -tos
3.	(Austral), (NZ) a de facto husband or wife

[C17: Latin]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source

00:10

De facto is always a great word to know.

So is ninnyhammer. Does it mean:

a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.

a fool or simpleton; ninny.

LEARN MORE UNUSUAL WORDS WITH WORD DYNAMO...

Etymonline

Word Origin & History

de facto

c.1600, from L. de facto, lit. "in fact, in reality," thus, "existing, but not necessarily legally ordained."

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source

American Heritage

Cultural Dictionary

de facto [(di fak-toh, day fak-toh)]

Something generally accepted or agreed to without any formal decision in its favor: “They never elected him; he became their leader de facto.” From Latin, meaning “in fact.” (Compare de jure.)

Example sentences

As the kids get older, leagues that operate through the winter become de facto

high school tryouts.

Menzie Chinn points out that rising oil prices act as a de facto barrier to

trade, because shipping gets more expensive.

But when they try to make their ideas a de facto facts, then we have problems.

As the latter's de facto guardian, he gleefully signed his report cards.

Upgrade to Ad-free Premium Membership!

Matching Quote

"The difference between de jure and de facto segregation is the difference open, forthright bigotry and the shamefaced kind that works through unwritten agreements between real estate dealers, school officials, and local politicians."

-Shirley Chisholm

de facto

de fac·to