de facto

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Critics of these arrangements say private-equity firms use them to gain de facto control over law firms while skirting ownership bans.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 1, 2026

Some believe that when MBS became de facto ruler of the Kingdom in 2017, he inherited a system that badly needed overhauling.

From BBC • May 25, 2026

The Make America Healthy Again movement, for which Kennedy is the de facto leader, promotes a diet heavy in meat and animal products, such as butter, beef tallow and raw milk.

From MarketWatch • May 19, 2026

She becomes the de facto “keeper” of these letters and more mementos — a “strange gift,” she writes, the paper trail of something that should never have happened.

From Los Angeles Times • May 19, 2026

By the late 1980s, Sing Sing’s status as a de facto training facility was well established.

From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover