Phrase guide

ipso facto

adj · adv · 3 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

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  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˌɪpsəʊ ˈfæktəʊ/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Being such by itself, or by its own definition; inherent.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adv

Meaning 2

By that very fact itself; actually.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adverb

Meaning 3

by the fact itself

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • ipso facto, her innocence was established

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin ipsō factō (“by the fact itself”).

Across languages

Translations

13 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: са́мо по се́бе си (sámo po sébe si) — by that fact
  • Czech: samo o sobě — by that fact
  • Finnish: itsessään — by that fact
  • French: ipso facto — by that fact
  • German: ipso facto — by that fact
  • Italian: ipso facto — by that fact
  • Latin: ipso facto — by that fact
  • Polish: ipso facto — by that fact
  • Spanish: ipso facto — by that fact
  • Swedish: ipso facto — by that fact
  • Swedish: genom sakens natur — by that fact
  • Ukrainian: по фа́кту (po fáktu) — by that fact
  • Ukrainian: наспра́вді (nasprávdi) — by that fact