ADJECTIVE (1)

1. existing in fact whether with lawful authority or not;
- Example: "de facto segregation is as real as segregation imposed by law"
- Example: "a de facto state of war"


ADVERB (1)

1. in reality or fact;
- Example: "the result was, de facto, a one-party system"

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

De facto \De` fac"to\ [L.]
   Actually; in fact; in reality; as, a king de facto, --
   distinguished from a king de jure, or by right.
   [1913 Webster]

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Facto \Fac"to\, adv. [L., ablative of factum deed, fact.] (Law)
   In fact; by the act or fact.
   [1913 Webster]

   De facto. (Law) See De facto.
      [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

de facto
    adv 1: in reality or fact; "the result was, de facto, a one-
           party system"
    adj 1: existing in fact whether with lawful authority or not;
           "de facto segregation is as real as segregation imposed
           by law"; "a de facto state of war" [ant: de jure]

Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:

19 Moby Thesaurus words for "de facto":
   absolute, actual, actually, authentic, factual, for real, genuine,
   genuinely, historical, honest-to-God, positive, real, really,
   substantial, true, truly, undeniable, veritable, veritably



Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856):

DE FACTO, i. e. in deed. A term used to denote a thing actually done; a
president of the United States de facto is one in the exercise of the
executive power, and is distinguished from one, who being legally entitled
to such power is ejected from it; the latter would be a president de jure.
An officer de facto is frequently considered as an officer de jure, and his
official acts are of equal validity. 10 S. & R. 250; 4 Binn. R. 371; 11 S. &
R. 411, 414; Coxe, 318; 9 Mass. 231; 10 Mass. 290; 15 Mass. 180; 5 Pick.
487.