de facto
Real but unofficial
De facto describes something that exists in practice or reality, regardless of official status or legal recognition.
A de facto leader holds power without formal title; a de facto standard is one everyone follows though no authority mandated it.
The phrase contrasts with de jure (by law): They were the de facto rulers while the king remained the de jure head of state.
Level of quality accepted
- prevailingMost common or accepted
- acceptedFormally agreed to
- existingBeing real now
- currentDirected flow of charge
actual · functioning · operating · effective · real-world · working · operative · incumbent
Relaxed, not official
- unrecognizedNot identified or acknowledged
- unauthorizedNot officially permitted
- unsanctionedNot officially permitted
- undeclaredNot officially acknowledged
uncodified · extralegal · shadow · de jure · unratified · unaccredited · unregistered · off-the-record
Understood without words
- understoodGrasped the meaning
- unspokenNot verbally expressed
- impliedSuggested without stating
- presumedBelieved without certainty
taken-for-granted · implicit · default · automatic · inherent · recognized · acknowledged · given
Having superior influence
- governingControlling with authority
- controllingExerting authority over others
- rulingFormal legal determination
- predominantMost common or powerful
sovereign · paramount · leader · authority · regime · government · ruler · power
standard
Level of quality accepted
- prevailingMost common or accepted
- acceptedFormally agreed to
- existingBeing real now
current · actual · functioning · operating · effective · real-world · working · operative · incumbent · standing
informal
Relaxed, not official
- unrecognizedNot identified or acknowledged
- unauthorizedNot officially permitted
- unsanctionedNot officially permitted
undeclared · uncodified · extralegal · shadow · de jure · unratified · unaccredited · unregistered · off-the-record · backdoor
tacit
Understood without words
- understoodGrasped the meaning
- unspokenNot verbally expressed
- impliedSuggested without stating
presumed · taken-for-granted · implicit · default · automatic · inherent · recognized · acknowledged · given · expected
dominant
Having superior influence
- governingControlling with authority
- controllingExerting authority over others
- rulingFormal legal determination
predominant · sovereign · paramount · leader · authority · regime · government · ruler · power · administration
- borrowed wordschic, naive, passe, avant-garde, faux
- Latin Legal Termsbona fide, caveat emptor, de jure, in absentia, mens rea
- Latin Wordsad, ad nauseam, et, caveat emptor, affidavit
- Legal Latinab initio, bona fide, caveat emptor, certiorari, de jure
- formal wordshereby, herein, thereof, thereby, whereby
- Latin phrasesE pluribus unum, carpe diem, caveat emptor, veni vidi vici, ad astra
de factode jure
By right of law
legal · legitimate · statutory · official · sanctioned
de factode jure
By right of law
nominal · titular · official · formal · recognized
de factoin theory
Hypothetically, not actually
on paper · nominal · theoretical · in principle · hypothetical
fact, factory, factor, factual, manufacture, artifact, manufacturing, benefactor, factually