factual

factual — adjective

1. relating to information that can be checked and shown to be true or real, rather

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

relating to information that can be checked and shown to be true or real, rather than based on personal opinions, feelings, or guesses — for example, a factual report about an event uses real data and verified details.

Example

The team checked all the factual details before publishing the report.

collocation: factual details — specific verifiable pieces of information

Ayana's statement was purely factual and did not include any personal opinions.

adverb + factual: purely factual

Common collocations
  • factual information
  • factual account
  • factual evidence
  • factual accuracy
  • factual error
  • factual statement
  • factual basis
  • factual details
Synonyms
  • accurate

    emphasises correctness; factual information is fact-based but may not be perfectly accurate if the source facts are wrong

  • objective

    focuses on absence of personal bias or feelings, whereas factual focuses on presence of verified information

  • verifiable

    stresses that something can be checked or proved, which directly connects to the idea that facts are testable

Antonyms
  • fictional

    invented or imagined rather than based on real facts

  • fictitious

    similar to fictional, but often used for deliberately invented or false information

  • opinion-based

    based on personal views rather than verified information

Usage Note

Commonly used both before a noun (a factual account) and after a linking verb (the report was factual). Suitable for formal, academic, and everyday contexts without strong register restrictions.

Common Mistakes

The judge said the witness was factual.
The judge said the witness's testimony was factual.
'factual' describes information, accounts, or evidence, not people themselves in standard English.
He gave a factual description, adding his own feelings.
He gave a factual description without any personal opinions.
a factual statement is based on facts, not mixed with emotions or opinions.

Word family

  • fact
    nounB1
  • factually
    adverbB2
  • factuality
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words relate to the relationship between a statement and reality, but they highlight different aspects. Factual refers to the presence of verifiable information — a factual claim is one that can be checked against real data. Accurate focuses on correctness: a statement can be factual (based on facts) yet inaccurate if the source data was wrong. Objective emphasises the absence of personal bias or emotion, while factual does not necessarily imply neutrality. True is the broadest term, simply meaning that a statement matches reality. For example: an accurate thermometer gives the right reading; an objective journalist reports without bias; a true statement is one you believe; but a factual statement cites specific evidence that can be checked.

factual ↗accurate ↗objective ↗true ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • purely factual
  • strictly factual
  • entirely factual
  • merely factual

Phrases

  • as a matter of factual record
  • on purely factual grounds

Prepositions

  • factual about

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Formed in English in the early 1800s from the noun 'fact' (from Latin 'factum', meaning 'something done or performed') combined with the adjective suffix '-al' (meaning 'relating to'). Before 'factual' existed, English used phrases like 'relating to fact' or 'of fact'.