Adjacent Words

Fact definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

FACT, n. [L. factum, from facio, to make or do.]
1. Any thing done, or that comes to pass; an act; a deed; an effect produced or achieved; an event. Witnesses are introduced into court to prove a fact. Facts are stubborn things. To deny a fact knowingly is to lie.
2. Reality; truth; as, in fact. So we say, indeed.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred; "first you must collect all the facts of the case"
2: a statement or assertion of verified information about something that is the case or has happened; "he supported his argument with an impressive array of facts"
3: an event known to have happened or something known to have existed; "your fears have no basis in fact"; "how much of the story is fact and how much fiction is hard to tell"
4: a concept whose truth can be proved; "scientific hypotheses are not facts"

Merriam Webster's

noun Etymology: Latin factum, from neuter of factus, past participle of facere Date: 15th century 1. a thing done: as a. obsolete feat b. crime <accessory after the fact> c. archaic action 2. archaic performance, doing 3. the quality of being actual ; actuality <a question of fact hinges on evidence> 4. a. something that has actual existence <space exploration is now a fact> b. an actual occurrence <prove the fact of damage> 5. a piece of information presented as having objective reality

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. 1 a thing that is known to have occurred, to exist, or to be true. 2 a datum of experience (often foll. by an explanatory clause or phrase : the fact that fire burns; the fact of my having seen them). 3 (usu. in pl.) an item of verified information; a piece of evidence. 4 truth, reality. 5 a thing assumed as the basis for argument or inference. Phrases and idioms: before (or after) the fact before (or after) the committing of a crime. a fact of life something that must be accepted. facts and figures precise details. fact-sheet a paper setting out relevant information. the facts of life information about sexual functions and practices. in (or in point of) fact 1 in reality; as a matter of fact. 2 (in summarizing) in short. Etymology: L factum f. facere do

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Fact Fact, n. [L. factum, fr. facere to make or do. Cf. Feat, Affair, Benefit, Defect, Fashion, and -fy.] 1. A doing, making, or preparing. [Obs.] A project for the fact and vending Of a new kind of fucus, paint for ladies. --B. Jonson. 2. An effect produced or achieved; anything done or that comes to pass; an act; an event; a circumstance. What might instigate him to this devilish fact, I am not able to conjecture. --Evelyn. He who most excels in fact of arms. --Milton. 3. Reality; actuality; truth; as, he, in fact, excelled all the rest; the fact is, he was beaten. 4. The assertion or statement of a thing done or existing; sometimes, even when false, improperly put, by a transfer of meaning, for the thing done, or supposed to be done; a thing supposed or asserted to be done; as, history abounds with false facts. I do not grant the fact. --De Foe. This reasoning is founded upon a fact which is not true. --Roger Long. Note: TheTerm fact has in jurisprudence peculiar uses in contrast with low; as, attorney at low, and attorney in fact; issue in low, and issue in fact. There is also a grand distinction between low and fact with reference to the province of the judge and that of the jury, the latter generally determining the fact, the former the low. --Burrill Bouvier. Accessary before, or after, the fact. See under Accessary. Matter of fact, an actual occurrence; a verity; used adjectively: of or pertaining to facts; prosaic; unimaginative; as, a matter-of-fact narration. Syn: Act; deed; performance; event; incident; occurrence; circumstance.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(facts) Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. 1. You use the fact that after some verbs or prepositions, especially in expressions such as in view of the fact that, apart from the fact that, and despite the fact that, to link the verb or preposition with a clause. His chances do not seem good in view of the fact that the Chief Prosecutor has already voiced his public disapproval... We have to lie and hide the fact that I have an illness... PHRASE: prep PHR cl, v PHR cl 2. You use the fact that instead of a simple that-clause either for emphasis or because the clause is the subject of your sentence. The fact that he had left her of his own accord proved to me that everything he'd said was true. PHRASE: PHR cl, oft v PHR cl, prep PHR cl 3. You use in fact, in actual fact, or in point of fact to indicate that you are giving more detailed information about what you have just said. We've had a pretty bad time while you were away. In fact, we very nearly split up this time... He apologised as soon as he realised what he had done. In actual fact he wrote a nice little note to me... PHRASE: PHR with cl 4. You use in fact, in actual fact, or in point of fact to introduce or draw attention to a comment that modifies, contradicts, or contrasts with a previous statement. That sounds rather simple, but in fact it's very difficult... Why had she ever trusted her? In point of fact she never had, she reminded herself. = actually PHRASE: PHR with cl 5. When you refer to something as a fact or as fact, you mean that you think it is true or correct. ...a statement of verifiable historical fact... How much was fact and how much fancy no one knew. N-VAR 6. Facts are pieces of information that can be discovered. There is so much information you can almost effortlessly find the facts for yourself... His opponent swamped him with facts and figures... The lorries always left in the dead of night when there were few witnesses around to record the fact. N-COUNT 7. You use as a matter of fact to introduce a statement that gives more details about what has just been said, or an explanation of it, or something that contrasts with it. It's not that difficult. As a matter of fact, it's quite easy... 'I guess you haven't eaten yet.'—'As a matter of fact, I have,' said Hunter. = actually PHRASE: PHR with cl 8. If you say that you know something for a fact, you are emphasizing that you are completely certain that it is true. I know for a fact that Graham has kept in close touch with Alan. PHRASE: PHR after v [emphasis] 9. You use the fact is or the fact of the matter is to introduce and draw attention to a summary or statement of the most important point about what you have been saying. The fact is blindness hadn't stopped the children doing many of the things that sighted children enjoy... The fact of the matter is that student finances are stretched. PHRASE: V inflects, PHR cl

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

Lit. "a deed."

The word occurs only in the heading of the chapter, 2Ki 10 the King James Version, "Jehu excuseth the fact by the prophecy of Elijah," and in 2 Macc 4:36, with reference to the murder of Onias, "certain of the Greeks that abhorred the fact (the deed) also" (summisoponerounton, literally, "hating wickedness together with (others))," the Revised Version (British and American) "the Greeks also joining with them in hatred of the wickedness."

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. 1. Incident, event, occurrence, circumstance, act, deed, performance, thing done. 2. Reality, actuality, certainty, real existence, truth.

Moby Thesaurus

absolute fact, accepted fact, accomplishment, act, actual fact, actuality, actually, admitted fact, adventure, article, aspect, authenticity, axiom, bald fact, bare fact, basis for belief, body of evidence, brutal fact, case, certainty, chain of evidence, circumstance, clue, cold fact, conceded fact, count, data, datum, deed, demonstrable fact, detail, details, documentation, element, empirical fact, episode, established fact, eternal verities, event, evidence, exhibit, experience, facet, fact of experience, factor, factors, facts, factually, fait accompli, genuineness, given fact, good sooth, grounds, grounds for belief, hap, happening, happenstance, hard fact, historical truth, historicity, in fact, in reality, in truth, incident, incidental, indeed, indication, indisputable fact, inescapable fact, information, instance, item, item of evidence, items, low-down, manifestation, mark, material grounds, matter, matter of fact, minor detail, minutia, minutiae, muniments, mute witness, naked fact, not guesswork, not opinion, observable, occasion, occurrence, particular, particulars, phenomenon, piece of evidence, plain, point, points, positive fact, postulate, premises, proof, provable fact, reality, really, reason to believe, regard, relevant fact, respect, salient fact, self-evident fact, sign, significant fact, simple fact, sober fact, sooth, stubborn fact, symptom, the case, the nitty-gritty, the score, the true, thing, to be sure, token, trueness, truly, truth, truthfully, truthfulness, turn of events, ultimate truth, undeniable fact, unerroneousness, unfallaciousness, unfalseness, veracity, verity, very truth, well-known fact