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.
an event or thing known to have happened or existed
2.
a truth verifiable from experience or observation
3.
a piece of information: get me all the facts of this case
4.
(often plural) law an actual event, happening, etc, as distinguished from its legal consequences. Questions of fact are decided by the jury, questions of law by the court or judge
5.
philosophy a proposition that may be either true or false, as contrasted with an evaluative statement
6.
criminal lawafter the fact after the commission of the offence: an accessory after the fact
7.
criminal lawbefore the fact before the commission of the offence
8.
as a matter of fact, in fact, in point of fact in reality or actuality
9.
fact of life an inescapable truth, esp an unpleasant one
10.
the fact of the matter the truth
[C16: from Latin factum something done, from factus made, from facere to make]
1530s, "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 1630s, 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.