Understanding “ipso facto” and how to use it

If you want to impress others with your writing, incorporating Latin phrases into your work like “mea culpa,” “et cetera,” and “ad nauseam” is a great place to start. Some other common Latin phrases that are used in English include:

• “Circa,” meaning around or approximately
• “Per se,” meaning through itself
• “Pro bono,” meaning done without charge
• “Status quo,” meaning the existing state of affairs

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“Ipso facto” is another Latin phrase you may have come across in the past, but before you start using it, it’s important to learn what it means first. Fortunately, this phrase is easy to master, and you don’t need to be a lawyer to use it.

The meaning of “ipso facto”

The phrase ipso facto has a long history—its first known use was in 1548.² In Latin, “ipso facto” (pronounced IP-sow-FAK-tow) means “by that very fact” or “by the fact itself.” Considering “facto” sounds like the word “fact,” this probably isn’t too surprising. You may also see the phrase used to describe an inevitable result.³

In simple terms, use the phrase when one fact or statement means that another fact or statement is true.

Examples of “ipso facto” in a sentence

If you’re still confused about what “ipso facto” means, reading it in a sentence can help you understand the phrase. When you start using it or reading it in sentences, it may feel a little awkward at first. Here are some examples of “ipso facto” used in a sentence:

• If everyone in the office is sick, there is ipso facto a virus going around.
• She was the last to leave the office; she ipso facto was responsible for locking the door.
• He thinks that if the educational articles are longer, they are ipso facto better.
• She feels that volunteering in the soup kitchen makes her ipso facto a good person.
• If you were born in the United States, then ipso facto you are an American citizen.
• She is president of the company and ipso facto has a lot of power.
• He has a commercial pilot license and ipso facto endured 250 hours of training.

Using “ipso facto” correctly

To sound smart in your writing, you’ll want to make sure you are using “ipso facto” correctly. If you aren’t certain you’re using the phrase correctly, try to replace the phrase with “by that fact,” “by that fact alone,” “hence,” “therefore,” “inevitably,” or “unavoidably.” Look at this sentence:

By receiving his driver’s license, he ipso facto passed the road test.

If you are unsure if the sentence was used correctly, you can check it by making the sentence instead:

By receiving his driver’s license, he by that fact alone passed the road test.

The sentence still makes sense when you replace “ipso facto” with “by that fact alone,” indicating that the Latin phrase was used correctly.

Expanding your vocabulary with Latin phrases is an easy and excellent way to spice up your writing. For more tips on how to enhance your writing, check out these writing essentials.

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