in fact
You use this phrase to add more detail to what you just said, or to say what is really true. It is similar to 'actually' or 'in reality'.
“I like fruit; in fact, I eat apples every day.”
“He is not angry; in fact, he is very happy with your work.”
“The store is not closed; in fact, it stays open until midnight.”
“The movie was not boring at all; in fact, it was the most exciting film I have seen this year.”
“The hotel room was not just clean; in fact, it looked like nobody had ever stayed there before.”
“I thought the exam would be difficult, but in fact, I finished all the questions twenty minutes early.”
“She does not just speak French; in fact, she grew up in Paris and speaks it perfectly.”
“Many people assume that the project will be finished by Friday, but in fact, the team has encountered several unexpected delays that will push the deadline back.”
disputed origin
From the noun *fact*, which originally denoted a deed or action in the sense now preserved only in legal contexts. The idiom is perhaps a calque of the French *en fait*.
Last updated April 22, 2026