an event or thing known to have happened or existed a truth verifiable from experience or observation a piece of information: get me all the facts of this case - (often plural)
an actual event, happening, etc, as distinguished from its legal consequences. Questions of fact are decided by the jury, questions of law by the court or judge a proposition that may be either true or false, as contrasted with an evaluative statement - after the fact ⇒
after the commission of the offence - before the fact ⇒
before the commission of the offence - as a matter of fact, in fact, in point of fact ⇒
in reality or actuality - fact of life ⇒
an inescapable truth, esp an unpleasant one
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025
fact /fækt/USA pronunciation
n.
See -fac-.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025- something that is real and actually exists;
reality;
truth:[uncountable]Your fears have no basis in fact. - something known to exist or to have happened:[countable]It is a fact that an eclipse took place in that year.
- something known to be true:[countable]scientific facts about plant growth.
- Idioms, Law after the fact, done, made, or formulated after something has occurred:We realized after the fact that she had been fooling us all along.
- Idioms in fact, in truth;
really;
indeed;
in reality:They are, in fact, great patriots.Also, as a matter of fact.
See -fac-.
fact
(fakt),USA pronunciation n.
fact′ful, adj.
- something that actually exists;
reality;
truth:Your fears have no basis in fact. - something known to exist or to have happened:Space travel is now a fact.
- a truth known by actual experience or observation;
something known to be true:Scientists gather facts about plant growth. - something said to be true or supposed to have happened:The facts given by the witness are highly questionable.
- LawOften, facts. an actual or alleged event or circumstance, as distinguished from its legal effect or consequence. Cf. question of fact, question of law.
- Law after the fact, after the commission of a crime:an accessory after the fact.
- Law before the fact, prior to the commission of a crime:an accessory before the fact.
- Idioms in fact, actually;
really;
indeed:In fact, it was a wonder that anyone survived.
- Latin factum something done, deed, noun, nominal use of neuter of factus done, past participle of facere to do1
- 1530–40
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
'fact' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
Anglicism
- Arabic
- Bergsonism
- Bolshevik
- Botany Bay
- absence
- absolute impediment
- acapnia
- acceptance
- accessory
- accomplished
- acknowledge
- actual
- actuality
- actualize
- actually
- ad kalendas Graecas
- admit
- affirmative
- age
- algerienne
- allege
- allegedly
- although
- amenity
- animality
- annexation
- anthropocentric
- appearance
- apt
- aren't
- argument
- argumentative
- artifact
- as
- atrocity
- attorney
- attorney-in-fact
- au fait
- aver
- base
- baseless
- basic
- basis
- because
- being
- belief
- benefaction
- benefit
- bigness