De facto
lastmod 2022-11-18created 2022-11-181 edits
De facto (Latin) is an expression meaning "in fact", referring to things that actually exist even if they are not legally recognized. Because it refers to what happens in reality, it is used in contrast to de jure, which refers to what happens by law (what is recognized by law). A widely accepted informal convention is sometimes called a de facto standard.
In social sciences, a voluntary standard that is also a de facto standard is a typical solution to a coordination problem.