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.

With no one above him in the office, that title leaves Essayli as the de facto U.S. attorney.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 4, 2026

Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Professor Lee Elliot Major said teachers are acting as "de facto parents" in the classroom, explaining that a lot of "societal challenges" come out in this setting.

From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026

Since joining OpenAI, Simo has become its de facto leader, overseeing everything outside of the startup’s research and data-center teams, which report to Altman.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

Unlike some of its neighbours, Indonesia has not seen long fuel queues as global oil prices have soared due to Iran's de facto closure of the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026

Washington edged second-place Yale by eight feet to emerge as de facto national champion.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown