De facto Definition and Meaning

De facto is a term that some people use, and yet it shouldn’t be used if we stick to what is grammatically correct. That is why the word is not part of the dictionary developed by the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE).

Instead, it is appropriate to use the phrase de facto, made up of the preposition “de” and the noun “facto”. De facto, therefore, is that which exists in practice or in reality without conforming to regulations.

It can be said that it exists de facto, it exists in fact. It does not matter that such existence is recognized by law or regulations. For example: “Gómez is the de facto technical director, even though the team’s payroll is signed by Polesey”, “I was forced to assume the de facto management of the company, since Pereyra’s illness prevents him from attending the factory ”.

It is important to establish that de facto is a term that is used to shape what is known as a de facto marriage. This is actually what is known as a de facto couple. That couple is made up of two people who maintain a sentimental relationship and who behave like a married couple in countless aspects (personal, family, social…), but who are not legally recognized as such because they have not been married or by the church or civil.

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We cannot ignore either that there is what is called a de facto standard. It comes to be a pattern or a norm that has not been legitimized or agreed upon by any official body but that everyone generally accepts and is used as such.

There are many examples that can help us to make clear the meaning of de facto standard. Thus, it can be considered that one is the one that refers to the drawings that are used in the bathrooms of establishments or public buildings to make it clear which ones are for men and which are for women.

The most usual use of the expression is used in relation to a class of government. A de facto government is one in which certain people, usually members of the armed forces, overthrow the constitutional authorities and assume the leadership of a country.

This means that the de facto rulers are not elected by the people in democratic elections as established by the Constitution, but rather come to power by force. In this way, they develop a de facto mandate, making the population obey for reasons that have nothing to do with legality or the constitutional order: “We cannot take care of the illegitimate debt contracted by a de facto government”, “The president de facto he led us to war and was responsible for the death of thousands of young people”.

In the same way, we also have to establish that DeFacto is the name of an international strategic communication company based in San Sebastian. Basically, it is in charge of developing plans and strategies for all types of entities in terms of event management, corporate communication, design, communication in times of crisis, brand, digital & web or public relations.