something that actually exists; reality; truth: Your fears have no basis in fact.
2.
something known to exist or to have happened: Space travel is now a fact.
3.
a truth known by actual experience or observation; something known to be true: Scientists gather facts about plant growth.
4.
something said to be true or supposed to have happened: The facts given by the witness are highly questionable.
5.
Law. Often, facts.an actual or alleged event or circumstance, as distinguished from its legal effect or consequence. Compare question of fact, question of law.
—Idioms
6.
after the fact, Law. after the commission of a crime: an accessory after the fact.
7.
before the fact, Law. prior to the commission of a crime: an accessory before the fact.
8.
in fact, actually; really; indeed: In fact, it was a wonder that anyone survived.
[Origin: 1530–40; < L factum something done, deed, n. use of neut. of factus done, ptp. of facere to do1]
Knowledge or information based on real occurrences: an account based on fact; a blur of fact and fancy.
Something demonstrated to exist or known to have existed: Genetic engineering is now a fact. That Chaucer was a real person is an undisputed fact.
A real occurrence; an event: had to prove the facts of the case.
Something believed to be true or real: a document laced with mistaken facts.
A thing that has been done, especially a crime: an accessory before the fact.
Law The aspect of a case at law comprising events determined by evidence: The jury made a finding of fact.
[Latin factum, deed, from neuter past participle of facere, to do; see dhē- in Indo-European roots.]
Usage Note: Fact has a long history of usage in the sense "allegation of fact," as in "This tract was distributed to thousands of American teachers, but the facts and the reasoning are wrong" (Albert Shanker). This practice has led to the introduction of the phrases true facts and real facts, as in The true facts of the case may never be known. These usages may occasion qualms among critics who insist that facts can only be true, but the usages are often useful for emphasis.
1539, "action," especially "evil deed," from L. factum "event, occurrence," lit. "thing done," from neut. pp. of facere "to do" (see factitious). Usual modern sense of "thing known to be true" appeared 1632, from notion of "something that has actually occurred." Facts of life "harsh realities" is from 1854; specific sense of "human sexual functions" first recorded 1913. Factoid is from 1973, first explained, if not coined, by Norman Mailer.
"Factoids ... that is, facts which have no existence before appearing in a magazine or newspaper, creations which are not so much lies as a product to manipulate emotion in the Silent Majority." [N. Mailer, "Marilyn," 1973]
a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred; "first you must collect all the facts of the case"
2.
a statement or assertion of verified information about something that is the case or has happened; "he supported his argument with an impressive array of facts"
3.
an event known to have happened or something known to have existed; "your fears have no basis in fact"; "how much of the story is fact and how much fiction is hard to tell"
4.
a concept whose truth can be proved; "scientific hypotheses are not facts"
factartificial intelligence, programming The kind of clause used in logic programming which has no subgoals and so is always true (always succeeds). E.g. wet(water). male(denis). This is in contrast to a rule which only succeeds if all its subgoals do. Rules usually contain logic variables, facts rarely do, except for oddities like "equal(X,X).". (1996-10-20)
Af*fair"\ ([a^]f*f[^a]r"), n. [OE. afere, affere, OF. afaire, F. affaire, fr. a faire to do; L.. ad + facere to do. See Fact, and cf. Ado.]1. That which is done or is to be done; matter; concern; as, a difficult affair to manage; business of any kind, commercial, professional, or public; -- often in the plural. "At the head of affairs." --Junius. "A talent for affairs." --Prescott. 2. Any proceeding or action which it is wished to refer to or characterize vaguely; as, an affair of honor, i. e., a duel; an affair of love, i. e., an intrigue. 3. (Mil.) An action or engagement not of sufficient magnitude to be called a battle. 4. Action; endeavor. [Obs.] And with his best affair Obeyed the pleasure of the Sun. --Chapman. 5. A material object (vaguely designated). A certain affair of fine red cloth much worn and faded. --Hawthorne.
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