fact

A2 Topic:General Vocabulary

US /fækt/ See IPA manual

Freq #534

Meanings

1

noun
A piece of information that is true and can be proven.

First you must collect all the facts of the case.
2

noun
Something that is really true, as opposed to something invented or imagined.

Gravity is a fact, not just a theory.

Thesaurus

Opposites

opinion

Word family

Forms facts

Derived forms after-the-factalt-factantefactanti-factattorney-in-factbrute-factcounterfactfact-checkfact-checkingfact-finderfact-findingfact-free

Related forms belief faction factor factorial factoryfactotumfashion value

Appears in

Phrases (4)

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basic fact
a fundamental piece of information that forms a foundation for understanding

Adjective + noun
simple fact
a plain, straightforward piece of information

Adjective + noun
check the facts
to verify whether information is accurate before acting on it

Verb + noun
undisputed fact
a fact whose truth is generally accepted and not challenged

Adjective + noun

Proverbs (11)

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Simplified etymology

Fact dates from late Middle English and belongs to the large family of words derived from Latin facere, “to make or do.” It shares this root with factor, factory, feat, and feature.

Etymology

From Old French fact, from Latin factum (“an act, deed, feat, etc.”); also Medieval Latin for “state, condition, circumstance”; neuter of factus (“done or made”), perfect passive participle of faciō (“do, make”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁- (“to put, place, set”). Old/Middle French later evolved it into faict and fait. Doublet of feat.

*dʰeh₁- Proto-Indo-European fact Old French factum Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

General Vocabulary

External links

# fact

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /fækt/
**Frequency rank:** 534

## Meanings
1. A piece of information that is true and can be proven.
2. Something that is really true, as opposed to something invented or imagined.

## Examples
- First you must collect all the facts of the case.
- Gravity is a fact, not just a theory.

## Antonyms
- opinion

## Derived Forms
- after-the-fact
- alt-fact
- antefact
- anti-fact
- attorney-in-fact
- brute-fact
- counterfact
- fact-check
- fact-checking
- fact-finder
- fact-finding
- fact-free

## Related Forms
- belief
- faction
- factor
- factorial
- factory
- factotum
- fashion
- value

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *dʰeh₁-
- Root: fact
- Root: factum

## Etymology
From Old French fact, from Latin factum (“an act, deed, feat, etc.”); also Medieval Latin for “state, condition, circumstance”; neuter of factus (“done or made”), perfect passive participle of faciō (“do, make”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁- (“to put, place, set”). Old/Middle French later evolved it into faict and fait. Doublet of feat.

## AI Etymology
Fact comes from Old French fact, from Latin factum (“an act, deed, feat, etc.”); also Medieval Latin for “state, condition, circumstance”; neuter of factus (“done or made”), perfect passive participle of faciō (“do, make”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁- (“to put, place, set”). Old/Middle French later evolved it into faict and fait. Doublet of feat. In current use, the main senses are “A piece of information that is true and can be proven” and “Something that is really true, as opposed to something invented or imagined”.

## Topics
- General Vocabulary

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