Legal Definition and Related Resources of Fact

A thing done; an action performed or an incident transpiring; an event or circumstance ; an actual occurrence; an actual happening in time, space or an event mental or physical ; that which has taken place . City of South Euclid v Clapacs, 213 N. E.2d 828. 6 Ohio Misc. 101. As opposed to an opinion is susceptible of exact knowledge .

(Lat. factum). An action ; a thing done; a circumstance. “Fact” is much used in modern times in distinction from “law.” Thus, in every case to be tried there are facts to be shown to exist to which the law is to be applied. If law is, as it is said to be, a rule of action, the fact is the action shown to have been done, and which should have been done in accordance with the rule. Fact, in this sense, means a thing done or existing. Material facts are those which are essential to the right of action or defense. Immaterial facts are those which are not essential to the right of action or defense. Material facts must be shown to exist; immaterial facts need not. The existence of facts is generally determined by the jury; but there are many facts of which a court takes cognizance. See “Judge;” “Jury;” “Cognizance.” As to pleading material facts, see Gould, PI. c. 3, § 28. And see 3 Bouv. Inst, note 3150,

noun

• absolute certainty
• absolute reality
• actual occurrence
• actual reality
• actuality
• authenticated incident
• certainty
• documented event
• established matter
• established phenomenon
• event
• existent thing
• experience
• factum
• incontrovertible incident
• indisputable event
• palpable episode
• perceived happening
• real episode
• real experience
• reality
• res
• substantiated incident
• tangible proof
• true incident
• truth
• verifiable happening
• Associated Concepts: conceded facts
• established fact
• facts in issue
• facts of a case
• facts pleaded
• facts presented
• facts which constitute a cause of action
• question of fact
• stipulated facts
• uncontroverted facts
• undisputed factsforeign phrases: Ubi factum nullum
• ibi fortia nulla
• Where there is no principal fact
• there can be no accessory
• Regula est
• juris quidem ignorantiam cuique nocere
• factivero ignorantiam non nocere
• The rule is that a person’s ignorance of the law may prejudice him
• but that his ignorance of fact will not
• Ex facto jus oritur
• Law arises out of facts
• Adquaestionemfacti non respondent judices; ad quaestionem juris non respondent juratores
• Judges do not answer to a question of fact; jurors do not answer to a question of law
• Facta suntpotentiora verbis
• Facts are more powerful than words

Browse or run a search for Fact in the American Encyclopedia of Law, the Asian Encyclopedia of Law, the European Encyclopedia of Law, the UK Encyclopedia of Law or the Latin American and Spanish Encyclopedia of Law.

Fact in Historical Law

You might be interested in the historical meaning of this term. Browse or search for Fact in Historical Law in the Encyclopedia of Law.

Search for legal acronyms and/or abbreviations containing Fact in the Legal Abbreviations and Acronyms Dictionary.

You might be also interested in these legal terms:

Translate Accessory After the Fact from English to Spanish

Translation of Accessory After the Fact, with examples. More about free online translation into Spanish of Encubridor and other legal terms is available here.

• Encubridor
• Legal English Translation

Translate Accessory Before the Fact from English to Spanish

Translation of Accessory Before the Fact, with examples. More about free online translation into Spanish of Cómplice instigador and other legal terms is available here.

• Cómplice instigador
• Legal English Translation

Translate Accessory During the Fact from English to Spanish

Translation of Accessory During the Fact, with examples. More about free online translation into Spanish of Cómplice pasivo and other legal terms is available here.

• Cómplice pasivo
• Legal English Translation

Translate Findings of Fact, Conclusions Of Law, and Initial Decision from English to Spanish

Translation of Findings of Fact, Conclusions Of Law, and Initial Decision, with examples. More about free online translation into Spanish of Determinación de hecho, conclusiones de derecho y decisión inicial and other legal terms is available here.

• Determinación de hecho, conclusiones de derecho y decisión inicial
• Legal English Translation

Translate Fact from English to Spanish

Translation of Fact , with examples. More about free online translation into Spanish of Hecho and other legal terms is available here.

• Hecho
• Legal English Translation

Translate Findings of Fact from English to Spanish

Translation of Findings of Fact , with examples. More about free online translation into Spanish of Decisión sobre cuestión de hecho and other legal terms is available here.

• Decisión sobre cuestión de hecho
• Determinación de hecho
• Legal English Translation

Translate Questions of Fact from English to Spanish

Translation of Questions of Fact , with examples. More about free online translation into Spanish of Cuestiones de hecho and other legal terms is available here.

• Cuestiones de hecho
• Legal English Translation

Browse

You might be interested in these references tools:

Resource	Description
Fact in the Dictionary	Fact in our legal dictionaries
Browse the Legal Thesaurus	Find synonyms and related words of Fact
Legal Maxims	Maxims are established principles that jurists use as interpretive tools, invoked more frequently in international law
Legal Answers (Q&A)	A community-driven knowledge creation process, of enduring value to a broad audience
Related topics	Fact in the World Encyclopedia of Law

Notice

This definition of Fact is based on the The Cyclopedic Law Dictionary . This entry needs to be proofread.

Vocabularies (Semantic Web Information)

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Resource	Description
Topic Map	A group of names, occurrences and associations
Topic Tree	A topic display format, showing the hierarchy
Sitemap Index	Sitemap Index, including Taxonomies
https://legaldictionary.lawin.org/fact/	The URI of Fact (more about URIs)

Fact in the Dictionary of Law consisting of Judicial Definitions and Explanations of Words, Phrases and Maxims

Anything done, or said; an act or action; an actual occurance; a circumstance; whatever comes to pass; an event. See Factum. Subjects of jurisprudence are facts and laws: facts are the source and cause of laws. From facts proceed rights and wrongs. By fact is meant anything the subject of testimony. Perception is a fact. If any emotion is felt, as joy, grief, anger, the feeling is a fact. If the operation of the mind is productive of an effect, as intention, knowledge, skill, the possession of this effect is a fact. If any proposition be true, whatever is affirmed or denied in it is a fact. – Ram on Facts, Ch. I. “Fact” is contrasted with “law”. Law is a principle, fact is an event; law is conceived, fact is actual; law is a rule of duty, fact is that which accords with or contravenes the rule. – Abbott’s Law Dictionary. Facts, and evidence, are to be pleaded; and are proven by moral evidence. Questions of fact are said to be solved by the jury, questions of law by the court.

Note: This legal definition of Fact in the Dictionary of Law (English and American Jurisprudence) is from 1893.

Grammar

This term is a noun.

Etimology of Fact

(You may find fact at the world legal encyclopedia and the etimology of more terms).

1530s, “action, anything done,” especially “evil deed,” from Latin factum “an event, occurrence, deed, achievement,” in Medieval Latin also “state, condition, circumstance,” literally “thing done” (source also of Old French fait, Spanish hecho, Italian fatto), noun use of neuter of factus, past participle of facere “to do” (from PIE root *dhe- “to set, put”). Main modern sense of “thing known to be true” is from 1630s, from notion of “something that has actually occurred.” Compare feat, which is an earlier adoption of the same word via French. Facts “real state of things (as distinguished from a statement of belief)” is from 1630s. In fact “in reality” is from 1707. Facts of life “harsh realities” is from 1854; euphemistic sense of “human sexual functions” first recorded 1913. Alliterative pairing of facts and figures is from 1727. Facts and Figures are the most stubborn Evidences; they neither yield to the most persuasive Eloquence, nor bend to the most imperious Authority. [Abel Boyer, “The Political State of Great Britain,” 1727]

Resources

See Also

Law Dictionaries.

facts.

Fact in Law Enforcement

Main Entry: Law Enforcement in the Legal Dictionary. This section provides, in the context of Law Enforcement, a partial definition of fact.

Resources

See Also

• Law Enforcement Officer
• Police Work
• Law Enforcement Agency

Further Reading

• fact in A Dictionary of Law Enforcement (Oxford University Press)
• fact in the Encyclopedia of Law Enforcement
• A Treatise on the Police of the Metropolis

English Legal System: Fact

In the context of the English law, A Dictionary of Law provides the following legal concept of Fact :

An event or state of affairs known to have happened or existed. It may be distinguished from law (as in *trier of fact) or, in the law of evidence, from opinion (See opinion evidence). The facts in issue are the main facts that a party carrying the persuasive *burden of proof must establish in order to succeed; in a wider sense they may include subordinate or collateral facts, such as those affecting the *credit of a witness or the *admissibility of evidence.

See also factum.