In fact or in practice; something that exists or is accepted in reality, even if not officially recognized or legally established.
From Latin de facto: de 'from' + factum 'thing done, fact.' The phrase literally means 'from the fact' and developed into describing situations existing in reality versus law.
De facto segregation is more insidious than de jure segregation because laws don't explicitly say it—people just naturally separate, making it harder to legally challenge.
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