1
: actual
especially
: being such in effect though not formally recognized
a de facto state of war
Whatever it says on the calendar, Florida has de facto summer. —
E. L. Konigsburg
E. L. Konigsburg has become the movement's de facto spokesperson
2
: exercising power as if legally constituted
a de facto government
the de facto head of state
3
: resulting from economic or social factors rather than from laws or actions of the state
de facto segregation
Synonyms
Examples of de facto in a Sentence
Adjective
with the death of his father, he became the de facto head of the family
Recent Examples on the Web
Alison Dirr, Journal Sentinel, 6 Nov. 2024
The comment earned praise from Qin, the Chinese foreign minister at the time, and a rebuke from Hsiao Bi-khim, who was then Taiwan’s de facto ambassador to Washington and is now the island’s vice president.
—Jennifer Jett, NBC News, 4 Nov. 2024
Trisha Thadani, San Francisco Chronicle, 17 Mar. 2023
The trend has accelerated under the kingdom’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, amid U.S. criticism of Saudi human-rights violations.
—Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 Mar. 2023
See all Example Sentences for de facto 
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Adverb
As a number of long-serving members have retired in recent years, Moore has become the de facto dean of Wisconsin’s House delegation.
—Alison Dirr, Journal Sentinel, 6 Nov. 2024
The comment earned praise from Qin, the Chinese foreign minister at the time, and a rebuke from Hsiao Bi-khim, who was then Taiwan’s de facto ambassador to Washington and is now the island’s vice president.
—Jennifer Jett, NBC News, 4 Nov. 2024
Adjective
But many supported the move and came to regard it as a de facto safe consumption site, a model that exists in cities around the world and in New York, where people can use drugs in a supervised setting.
—Trisha Thadani, San Francisco Chronicle, 17 Mar. 2023
The trend has accelerated under the kingdom’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, amid U.S. criticism of Saudi human-rights violations.
—Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 Mar. 2023
See all Example Sentences for de facto
Dictionary Entries Near de facto
Cite this Entry
“De facto.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/de%20facto. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
de facto
1 of 2 adverb
de fac·to
di-ˈfak-tō, dā-, dē- 
: in reality : actually
these two constraints have been lifted, one de facto and one de jure—Susan Lee
Susan Leede facto
2 of 2 adjective1
: actual
especially
: being such in effect though not formally recognized see also de facto segregation at segregation
2
: exercising power as if legally constituted or authorized
a de facto government
a de facto judge
compare de jure
Etymology
Adverb
Medieval Latin, literally, from the fact
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