English

Etymology

From Latin perfect passive participle factus , "something made" (cf. manufacture), from verb facere, make or do

Noun

fact, plural facts

1. Something actual as opposed to invented.

   In this story, the Gettysburg Address is a fact, but the rest is fiction.

2. Something which has become real

   The promise of television became a fact in the 1920s.

3. Something concrete used as a basis for further interpretation.

   Let's look at the facts of the case before deciding.

4. An objective consensus on a fundamental truth that has been agreed upon by a substantial number of people.

   There is no doubting the fact that the earth orbits the sun.

5. Information about a particular subject. The facts about space travel.

Related terms

• factual
• fiction
• fact or fiction
• fact of life
• in fact

Translations

• Bulgarian: факт m
• Chinese: 事实 /事實 (shìshí), 实情 /實情 (shiqing), 真相 (zhenxiang), 实际 /實際 (shiji)
• Danish: virkelighed (2); kendsgerning (1), (3) & (4)
• Dutch: feit
• French: fait m, vérité f
• Ido: fakto
• Indonesian: kenyataan , fakta
• Italian: fatto f
• Japanese: 事実 (じじつ), 現実 (げんじつ), 実際 (じっさい)
• Portuguese: fato m (Brazil), facto (Portugal)