# de facto

> English word · Adverb · IPA /ˌdeɪˈfæktəʊ/

## Definitions
1. In actual use or existence, regardless of official or legal status.

## Etymology
Unadapted borrowing from Latin dē factō (literally “according to fact”), from dē (“according to”) + ablative of factum (“fact, deed, act”).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-09-03.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/de-facto