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De Facto for Dummies

adjective

pronunciation: dɪ'fæktoʊ

What does De Facto really mean?

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Sure thing! "De facto" is a fancy Latin term, but it's actually quite simple when you break it down. So, when we talk about something being "de facto," we're basically saying that it's a situation or a decision that exists in reality, even if it's not officially recognized. It's like when you and your friends decide to have a game of tag during recess, even though the teacher didn't say you could. In that case, the game of tag is "de facto" because it's happening for real, even though it's not part of the official school schedule.

Another way to think about it is like this: Let's say you're in a group project, and one person naturally starts taking charge and making decisions, even though they weren't officially appointed as the leader. In that situation, they're the "de facto" leader because they're the one actually making things happen, even if it wasn't official.

So, "de facto" is all about things happening in practice, even if they're not written down or agreed upon officially. It's like a sneaky little term that shows up when things are happening in real life, even if they're not official. And that's "de facto" for you! Cleared things up a bit?

Revised and Fact checked by Stephanie Wilson on 2023-11-15 05:50:51

De Facto In a sentece

Learn how to use De Facto inside a sentece

  • The de facto leader of the school club is the person who always makes decisions and leads the group, even though they were not officially elected to the position.
  • In many families, the oldest sibling becomes the de facto babysitter when the parents are not home.
  • Even though the teacher assigned group leaders, the students often looked to Sam as the de facto leader because of his natural leadership abilities.
  • The de facto language spoken in the country is English, even though there is no official language declared.
  • The de facto policy of the company was to give employees extra time off during the holidays, even though it was not written in the official rules.

De Facto Antonyms

Words that have the opposite context of the original word.