de jure
According to law
De jure means by law or according to legal right, as opposed to de facto (in actual practice).
A de jure government holds power through legitimate legal authority, whether or not it exercises real control: The king remained the de jure ruler, though the military held actual power.
The term appears in legal, political, and academic contexts to distinguish official status from practical reality.
Established by enacted law
- codifiedMade into systematic rules
- lawfulPermitted by statute
- enactedMade into law
- bindingLegally or morally required
prescribed · authorized · formalized · ratified · legislated · sanctioned · licit · permitted
Accepted as true
- acceptedFormally agreed to
- endorsedOfficially approved or supported
- validatedConfirmed as true or acceptable
- confirmedEstablished as accurate
certified · authorized · legitimized · accredited · approved · admitted · granted · entitled
In designation only
- notionalConceptual, not concrete
- presumptiveAssumed without full proof
- putativeAssumed to be true
- theoreticalBased on hypothesis, untested
unrealized · paper · formal · technical · ostensible · titular · symbolic · ceremonial
Supreme independent authority
- governanceHow authority is exercised
- legislatureLawmaking governmental branch
- executiveSenior organizational leader
- judiciaryLaw-interpreting government branch
federalism · separation of powers · checks and balances · charter · democracy · republic · autonomy · bicameral
statutory
Established by enacted law
binding · prescribed · authorized · formalized · ratified · legislated · sanctioned · licit · permitted · valid
acknowledged
Accepted as true
- acceptedFormally agreed to
- endorsedOfficially approved or supported
- validatedConfirmed as true or acceptable
confirmed · certified · authorized · legitimized · accredited · approved · admitted · granted · entitled · conferred
nominal
In designation only
- notionalConceptual, not concrete
- presumptiveAssumed without full proof
- putativeAssumed to be true
theoretical · unrealized · paper · formal · technical · ostensible · titular · symbolic · ceremonial · aspirational
sovereignty
Supreme independent authority
- governanceHow authority is exercised
- legislatureLawmaking governmental branch
- executiveSenior organizational leader
judiciary · federalism · separation of powers · checks and balances · charter · democracy · republic · autonomy · bicameral · parliamentary
- Latin Legal Termsbona fide, caveat emptor, in absentia, mens rea, per se
- Legal Latinab initio, bona fide, caveat emptor, certiorari, de novo
- Jim CrowJim Crow laws, separate but equal, segregation laws, Plessy v. Ferguson, whites only
- Latin phrasesE pluribus unum, carpe diem, caveat emptor, veni vidi vici, ad astra
- legitimacylegal, validity, legitimate, lawfulness, lawful
- nominalnominal, titular, figurehead, in name only, token
de jurede facto
Real though not official
in practice · in reality · actually · practically · effectively
de jurede facto
Real though not official
unofficial · informal · extralegal · unrecognized · uncodified
injury, justice, injure, jury, prejudice, conjure, jurisdiction, perjury, de facto