A fact or deed; most commonly used in the phrase 'fait accompli,' meaning something that has already been done and is difficult to undo.
From Old French 'fait,' from Latin 'factum' (deed, act), the past participle of 'facere' (to do). The phrase 'fait accompli' literally means 'accomplished fact' in French and entered English in the 19th century.
The French phrase 'fait accompli' is so useful that English borrowed it wholesale—it describes the political tactic of presenting someone with a decision already made, removing their ability to object.
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