as in actual
existing in fact and not merely as a possibility
with the death of his father, he became the de facto head of the family
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Recent Examples of de facto
The 16 women who had challenged the status quo, most notably Nancy Hopkins, the reluctant de facto leader, were thrilled but eager to return to their roles as elite scientists.
—
Stuart Miller, Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2023
The measure received unanimous support in the House and Senate and drew Taiwan’s de facto ambassador in the U.S., Hsiao Bi-khim, to both chambers Thursday.
—Laura Vozzella, Washington Post, 20 Feb. 2023
Beauty Turns Individuals into Communities Beauty salons and barber shops have traditionally played the role of de facto community centers in many places around the world.
—Stephan Rabimov, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2023
Pollard only lasted a handful of seasons, and in short order, the NFL erected its own de facto color barrier in 1933, thanks in large part to the efforts of George Preston Marshall, the then-Boston Redskins owner.
—Robert Silverman, Rolling Stone, 12 Feb. 2023
See All Example Sentences for de facto
Stuart Miller, Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2023
The measure received unanimous support in the House and Senate and drew Taiwan’s de facto ambassador in the U.S., Hsiao Bi-khim, to both chambers Thursday.
—Laura Vozzella, Washington Post, 20 Feb. 2023
Beauty Turns Individuals into Communities Beauty salons and barber shops have traditionally played the role of de facto community centers in many places around the world.
—Stephan Rabimov, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2023
Pollard only lasted a handful of seasons, and in short order, the NFL erected its own de facto color barrier in 1933, thanks in large part to the efforts of George Preston Marshall, the then-Boston Redskins owner.
—Robert Silverman, Rolling Stone, 12 Feb. 2023
See All Example Sentences for de facto
Recent Examples of Synonyms for de facto
Adjective
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Rather, while some roads saw some minor flooding, the heaviest bands of rain stayed offshore, lessening the chances for actual flooding.—
Abigail Hasebroock,
Sun Sentinel,
4 June 2025
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But in terms of actual similarities between character and person, there’s only the vague echo of Malkmus’ own journey from the Central Valley suburb of Stockton, California, to New York City in pursuit of rock & roll.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
4 June 2025
Adjective
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However, the real star of the show is the puffer complex.—
Celeste Polanco,
Essence,
3 June 2025
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June 03, 2025 Listening well is an essential aspect of leadership – not just to maintain good relationships with employees, but to drive real business improvements and results.—
Harvard Business Review,
Harvard Business Review,
3 June 2025
Adjective
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Puig agreed to waive any legal protections for suppression or exclusion of new information in the factual basis.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
30 May 2025
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Remember when Google demoed its Bard AI tool in 2023 and its factual error led to its parent company losing US$100 billion in market value?—
Greg Edwards,
The Conversation,
30 May 2025
Adjective
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Gödel showed that any system of axioms in mathematics permits the formulation of statements that can’t be shown to be true or false.—
Philip Ball,
Wired News,
8 June 2025
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Born in Seattle, Schmetzer was a true two-way midfielder as a player with defensive steel and an eye for creating chances.—
Jeff Rueter,
New York Times,
8 June 2025
Adjective
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This means that the appearance of new functions in evolution can’t be predicted—and yet some new functions can dictate the very rules of how the system evolves subsequently.—
Philip Ball,
Wired News,
8 June 2025
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Legislators initially voted 5-4 to approve this year’s budget for the first time at the very end of last year, on Dec. 31, before White vetoed it.—
Ilana Arougheti,
Kansas City Star,
8 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“De facto.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/de%20facto. Accessed 12 Jun. 2025.
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