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Vocabulary Builder — Essay & Answer Writing

De Facto

adjective / adverb (Latin phrase) / dee FAK-toh / Easy
Meaning

Existing or operating in practice, whether or not formally recognised, intended, or legally sanctioned

Origin / Etymology

Latin, literally 'from the fact'

Synonyms
In practice Effectively Actual
Antonyms
De Jure Nominal
Example Sentence
"Because the government decides which crop may supply the ethanol mandate, the blending policy functions as a de facto industrial policy for whichever feedstock it favours in pricing."
🎯 UPSC Usage

Pair with 'de jure' to sharpen GS2 answers distinguishing formal legal status from actual practice, e.g., 'cross-department data integration can create a de facto surveillance apparatus even where no single law explicitly authorises one.'

Relevant Subjects
Polity
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