de facto
adverb
- Latin expression, roughly meaning 'in fact'
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /ˌdeɪˈfæktəʊ/ / /dɪˈfæktəʊ/ / /ˌdiːˈfæktəʊ/
adj
Etymology: Unadapted borrowing from Latin dē factō (literally “according to fact”), from dē (“according to”) + ablative of factum (“fact, deed, act”).
- In actual use or existence, regardless of official or legal status.
“While it is largely recognized that Ukraine holds de jure sovereignty on Crimea, Russia exercises de facto administration on the peninsula.”
“To avoid conflicts (and associated delays and distractions) with other ministries' minions in Vladivostok, Chief Engineer Iugovich moved his headquarters to Harbin in 1898. Within fifteen years, a transportation hub with more than 100,000 inhabitants had sprung up. Its size and importance were commensurate with its de facto role as the provincial capital of Russian Manchuria.”
adv
Etymology: Unadapted borrowing from Latin dē factō (literally “according to fact”), from dē (“according to”) + ablative of factum (“fact, deed, act”).
- In actual use or existence, regardless of official or legal status.
noun
Etymology: Unadapted borrowing from Latin dē factō (literally “according to fact”), from dē (“according to”) + ablative of factum (“fact, deed, act”).
- A legally undeclared spouse; a partner in a spousal relationship which is not officially declared as a marriage, comparable to a common law husband or wife.
“One of the vendors was simple and straight; he said that it was his policy not to rent a house to de factos.”
“An incidental sideline to this little farce, I suppose we can call it, is that the Opposition, in this policy, seems to have reversed its so often stated policy in this place on de factos.”