Standard Lemma guide

factual

adj · noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • US: /ˈfæk.tʃ(u)əl/
  • UK: /ˈfæk.(t)ʃ(ʊ)əl/
  • Received-Pronunciation, dated: /ˈfæk.tj(ʊ)əl/
  • New-Zealand: /ˈfɛk.(t)ʃ(ʉː)əl/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -æktʃuəl
  • rhymes with -æktʃəl
  • rhymes with -ækʃuəl
  • rhymes with -ækʃəl
  • CMU ARPABET: F AE1 K CH UW0 AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Pertaining to or consisting of objective claims.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: unfactual, nonfactual, opinionated, subjective, biased

2

adj

Meaning 2

True, accurate, corresponding to reality.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: counterfactual, contrafactual, antifactual, unfactual, nonfactual, post-factual, extra-factual

3

noun

Meaning 3

Programmes having content based on facts, such as documentaries.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

Topics: broadcasting, media

Examples

  • The BBC is increasing its budget for factual this year.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adjective

Meaning 4

of or relating to or characterized by facts

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • factual considerations

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adjective satellite

Meaning 5

existing in act or fact

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • rocks and trees...the actual world
  • actual heroism
  • the actual things that produced the emotion you experienced

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: actual

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From fact + -ual, modeled after, and by analogy with, actual.

Across languages

Translations

50 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: факти́чески (faktíčeski) — of facts
  • Bulgarian: действи́телен (dejstvítelen) — of facts
  • Chinese Mandarin: 事實 /事实 (shìshí) — of facts
  • Czech: faktický — of facts
  • Danish: faktuel — of facts
  • Dutch: feitelijk — of facts
  • Finnish: todellinen — of facts
  • Finnish: tosiasioihin perustuva — of facts
  • Finnish: tosiasiallinen — of facts
  • Finnish: asiapitoinen — of facts
  • French: effectif — of facts
  • French: factuel — of facts
  • Georgian: ფაქტიური (pakṭiuri) — of facts
  • Georgian: ნამდვილი (namdvili) — of facts
  • Georgian: ფაქტობრივი (pakṭobrivi) — of facts
  • German: faktisch — of facts
  • German: sachlich — of facts
  • German: auf Tatsachen beruhend — of facts
  • Gothic: 𐍃𐌿𐌽𐌾𐌹𐍃 (sunjis) — of facts
  • Greek: πραγματικός (pragmatikós) — of facts
  • Ancient Greek: πραγματικός (pragmatikós) — of facts
  • Hindi: वास्तविक (vāstavik) — of facts
  • Hungarian: tényszerű — of facts
  • Indonesian: faktual — of facts
  • Italian: effettivo — of facts
  • Italian: fattuale — of facts
  • Italian: concreto — of facts
  • Italian: reale — of facts
  • Japanese: 事実上の (jijitsujō no) — of facts
  • Korean: 사실(事實)의 (sasir-ui) — of facts
  • Kyrgyz: фактыларга негизделген (faktılarga negizdelgen) — of facts
  • Kyrgyz: чыныгы (cınıgı) — of facts
  • Kyrgyz: актуалдуу (aktualduu) — of facts
  • Occitan: factual — of facts
  • Occitan: factuau — of facts
  • Polish: faktyczny — of facts
  • Portuguese: factual — of facts
  • Portuguese: fatual — of facts
  • Romanian: efectiv — of facts
  • Romanian: faptic — of facts
  • Russian: факти́ческий (faktíčeskij) — of facts
  • Russian: действи́тельный (dejstvítelʹnyj) — of facts
  • Spanish: efectivo — of facts
  • Spanish: fáctico — of facts
  • Spanish: factual — of facts
  • Swahili: ukweli — of facts
  • Swedish: faktamässig — of facts
  • Swedish: faktuell — of facts
  • Turkish: somut — of facts
  • Yiddish: פֿאַקטיש (faktish) — of facts
Real reading context

factual in complete knowledge articles