fact — ODE · Shobdo

fact /fakt

▸ noun a thing that is known or proved to be true:

he ignores some historical and economic facts

the most commonly known fact about hedgehogs is that they have fleas

[mass noun] a body of fact.

▪ (facts) information used as evidence or as part of a report or news article:

even the most inventive journalism peters out without facts, and in this case there were no facts.

▪ [mass noun] mainly Law the truth about events as opposed to interpretation:

there was a question of fact as to whether they had received the letter.

– PHRASES

after the fact after the committing of a crime:

he was guilty of being an accessory after the fact.

▪
after an event has taken place:

he said he was informed about the ceremony only after the fact.

before the fact
before the committing of a crime:

an accessory before the fact.

facts and figures
precise details:

he presents the facts and figures of his case openly and honestly.

a fact of life
something that must be accepted and cannot be changed, however unpalatable:

baldness is a fact of life for a lot of men.

the facts of life
information about sexual functions and practices, especially as given to children.

the fact of the matter
the truth:

the fact of the matter is that few such cases reach the magistrates' courts.

the fact that /ðə ˈfak(t) ðət

/
used to refer to a particular situation under discussion:

despite the fact that I'm so tired, sleep is elusive.

in fact /ˌɪn ˈfakt

/ (also in point of fact)
used to emphasize the truth of an assertion, especially one contrary to what might be expected or what has been asserted:

the brook trout is in fact a char.

– ORIGIN late 15th century: from Latin factum, neuter past participle of facere ‘do’. The original sense was ‘an act’, later ‘a crime’, surviving in the phrase before (or after) the fact. The earliest of the current senses ( ‘truth, reality’) dates from the late 16th century.