Fact
A fact is something that has really occurred or is actually the case.
Description
The usual test for a statement of fact is verifiability, that is, whether it can be demonstrated to correspond to experience. Standard reference works are often used to check facts.
Scientific facts are verified by repeatable careful observation or measurement (by experiments or other means).
Etymology and usage
The word fact derives from the Latin factum, and was first used in English with the same meaning: "a thing done or performed", a use that is now obsolete.
The common usage of "something that has really occurred or is the case" dates from the middle of the sixteenth century.
Fact is sometimes used synonymously with truth, as distinct from opinions, falsehoods, or matters of taste.
This use is found in such phrases as, "It is a fact that the cup is blue" or "Matter of fact",
See also
External links
- Fact @ Wikipedia
