factual
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.based on or containing real facts rather than opinions or imagination.
adj.pertaining to, consisting of, or based on objective facts rather than interpretation or fiction.
Simple“The reporter tried to keep her story factual and did not include her own feelings.”
In context“The legal team insisted on a purely factual account of the incident, stripping away any emotional language that might bias the jury.”
- 02 C1 Advanced
n.television programmes or films that are based on real events, like documentaries.
n.a genre of media content, such as documentaries or news features, based on real-world events and information. Uncountable in this sense.
Simple“He has worked in factual for ten years, mostly making nature documentaries.”
In context“The network is shifting its budget away from expensive period dramas to invest more heavily in high-quality factual programming.”
UsageUsed as an uncountable noun in the broadcasting and media industries.
Synonymsnon fictiondocumentary
Usage factual information
“To remember an event like 9/11 can also mean the simple recalling of factual details.”
“It included a factual mistake, too: It’s a bus, not a train, that pulls away.”
From fact + -ual, modeled after, and by analogy with, actual.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.