What does "fact" mean?

1. (a true thing) something that is known to be true or has actually happened. 2. (details or data) information about a situation or a specific subject. 3. (legal deed) a specific act or event, often used when talking about a crime. 4. (emphasizing truth) you say this to show that what you are about to say is definitely true.

fact — meaning, definition & examples

Q: Is it correct to say "In the fact, the movie was quite long."?

No — say "In fact, the movie was quite long.". The phrase 'in fact' is a fixed expression and does not take an article.

Word

01a true thing

A1 · Beginner Countable noun

n. something that is known to be true or has actually happened.

n. a thing that is known or proved to be true; an objective reality as opposed to an opinion or falsehood.

“It is a well-known fact that the Earth revolves around the Sun.”

“The journalist spent months verifying every fact in the report to ensure the publication could withstand any legal challenges regarding its accuracy.”

Pitfall

In the fact, the movie was quite long.

In fact, the movie was quite long.

The phrase 'in fact' is a fixed expression and does not take an article.

Synonyms

reality truth certainty

Antonyms

fiction lie myth

02details or data

B1 · Intermediate Plural noun

n. information about a situation or a specific subject.

n. information about a particular subject, especially regarding actual conditions, circumstances, or data points.

“The brochure is full of interesting facts about the city's history.”

“Before making a final decision on the merger, the board requested a comprehensive summary of the facts regarding the company's current debt.”

Synonyms

details particulars data

03legal deed

C1 · Advanced Countable noun Law Formal · Technical

n. a specific act or event, often used when talking about a crime.

n. an action or deed, specifically a wrongful or criminal act; often used in the phrase 'accessory after the fact'.

“He was charged with being an accessory after the fact.”

“The prosecution struggled to establish the facts of the case, as the primary witness provided conflicting accounts of the evening's events.”

Synonyms

deed act event

04emphasizing truth

B2 · Upper Intermediate Informal · Slang

interj. you say this to show that what you are about to say is definitely true.

interj. used as a sentence-initial or standalone marker to assert the truth or reliability of the following statement.

“Fact: that was the best pizza I have ever eaten.”

“Fact: if we don't leave right now, we are going to miss the opening act of the concert.”

Usage

Often used as a one-word sentence followed by a colon or a pause for dramatic emphasis.

Synonyms

truly honestly

Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “fact” in context.

01. actual fact 02. fact reflect 03. highlight fact 04. underline fact

From Old French fact, from Latin factum (“an act, deed, feat, etc.”); also Medieval Latin for “state, condition, circumstance”; neuter of factus (“done or made”), perfect passive participle of faciō (“do, make”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁- (“to put, place, set”). Old/Middle French later evolved it into faict and fait. Doublet of feat.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

NOUN

fact(A1)

faction(C1)

ADJECTIVE

factual(B2)

ADVERB

factually(B2)

as a matter of fact belief factory fashion in fact misrepresent opinion the fact that value