De facto

This article is actively undergoing a major edit for a little while. To help avoid edit conflicts, please do not edit this page while this message is displayed. This message was added at 20:23, 9 May 2025 (UTC). This page was last edited at 06:37, 10 May 2025 (UTC) (0 seconds ago) – this estimate is cached, update. Please remove this template if this page hasn't been edited for a significant time. If you are the editor who added this template, please be sure to remove it or replace it with {{Under construction}} between editing sessions.

De facto (/deɪ ˈfæktoʊ, di -, də -/, day FAK-toh, dee -⁠, də -⁠;^[1] Latin: [deː ˈfaktoː] ^ⓘ; lit. 'from fact') describes practices that exist in reality, regardless of whether they are officially recognized by laws or other formal norms.^[2][3] It is commonly used to refer to what happens in practice, in contrast with de jure ('from law'). The distinction between the two is significant in law, governance, language, standards, and social relationships, influencing policies, rights, and international relations.

De facto situations arise in many areas where practical realities differ from legal frameworks, shaping how institutions and societies function in practice, and the term is used to describe concepts that have, or could have, both a declared official form as well as an unofficial functioning form. For example, a de facto government holds power without legal recognition, a de facto standard is widely adopted in a market despite a lack of formal agreement, and a de facto language is widely spoken even if it lacks official status.