Facto

Part of speech: adjective, adverb

Definitions

1. Relating to or existing in reality or in fact as opposed to theory or law ; concerning the actual state or condition of something rather than its ideal or prescribed form ; denoting a practice or situation that exists in fact though not officially recognized
2. Pertaining to something based on actual experience or observation rather than abstract principles ; describing an entity or condition that is true in practice if not formally acknowledged ; applying to circumstances that exist through actual occurrence rather than formal decree
3. Referring to something grounded in real circumstance or truth rather than speculation ; indicating something that exists in effect or in actual fact though without official sanction ; concerning facts as they actually are rather than as they should be or claim to be

Etymology: "Facto" is the ablative of the Latin noun "factum", meaning "deed" or "fact", and it survives in English almost entirely inside the phrase "de facto", literally "from the deed" or "from the fact". The phrase works as a contrast with "de jure", "by law": something de facto holds in practice even where no law or formal authority says it should. The Latin ablative here reflects the preposition "de", which takes that case. The English adjective and adverb "de facto" are used to describe situations that exist in reality whatever their official status, such as a de facto government that rules without legal recognition. Because "factum" comes from "facere", "to do" or "to make", the phrase's core idea is simply what has actually been done, as opposed to what was decreed.

Synonyms: de facto, actual, effective

Antonyms: de jure, legal, official