Fact

A fact is something that exists or has occurred, distinguished from belief or personal opinion. When something is called a factual statement, what is meant is a statement that can be verified, tested by observation, documentation, or other evidence.

The term is used in philosophy, law, science, and journalism, but its meaning differs slightly in each field. Philosophy debates what makes something a fact; law distinguishes factual from legal matters; journalism derives facts from the writer's investigation.

Fact and opinion

The distinction between fact and opinion rests on whether a statement can be verified or not. "Water is composed of hydrogen and oxygen" is verifiable. "Water tastes better than any other drink" is a personal judgment that cannot be tested in a consistent way. However, the boundary is not always clear, since some judgments rest on measurable quantities.

Philosophical views

In ontological philosophy, some see facts as states of affairs existing in the external world, constituting what makes true statements true. Others argue that "fact" is not something existing in the world, but only a way of describing statements that have been accepted. A third view holds that facts are independent of human knowledge.

Science and evidence

In scientific investigation, facts typically refer to observations that can be repeated, distinct from hypotheses and theories that explain such observations. Scientific facts are not immutable: new instruments and methods sometimes alter previous measurements, though established fundamentals generally remain stable.

Law and journalism

In many legal systems, judges or magistrates determine factual matters—what occurred—while applying law to those facts. Journalism, through fact-checking methods, attempts to compare claims against documentation or primary sources, then demonstrate the degree of evidentiary support.