Make Your Point: IPSO FACTO

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pronounce IPSO FACTO:

IPP so FACK toe

Hear it.

connect this word to others:

Okay, bear with me here for a second. The phrase ipso facto makes me laugh because it reminds me of this scene from That '70s Show:

Jackie Burkhart: Look, Michael, if you want to choose me, then choose me. I mean, really choose me. Let's get married.

Michael Kelso: What?

Jackie: Michael, all our problems are because we haven't decided we're gonna be together forever. So let's decide.

Kelso: Hold on. You want to get married?

Jackie: Yes, Michael! Yes, I accept! Oh! Oh, my God! You know what? I gotta go tell my dad. And you, you have to buy a ring. Just think about it: We are going to be the Burkhart-Kelsos!

Kelso: The Who-hart What-os?

I can't help but hear "Who-hart What-o?!" when I hear ipso facto, the totally unrelated Latin phrase that literally means "the fact itself."

Let's recall some words that are, truly, related to ipso facto:

1. Start with some Latin words for "alone" (solus) and "self" (ipse), and morph them into the English word s________tic, meaning "extremely self-centered, as if denying the reality of other people."

2. Start with some Latin words for "do" (facere) and "all" (totum), and morph them into the word fac____m, meaning "a worker who does all kinds of tasks."

(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)

definition:

"Ipso facto" is Latin for "the fact itself."

We use it to mean "by the fact itself," or "by that very fact." In other words, something that's true automatically, or true by definition, is true ipso facto.

It makes more sense when you see it in context. Here's the New York Times: "Anyone who walks an ancient pilgrim route is ipso facto a pilgrim." In other words, "Anyone who walks an ancient pilgrim route is automatically, by definition, a pilgrim."

grammatical bits:

Part of speech:

It's usually an adverb: "Anyone who casts a vote is, ipso facto, participating as a citizen."

Sometimes it's an adjective: "the ipso facto data (New York Times)."

Other forms:

None, but if you prefer, you can italicize it to show that it's foreign (from Latin): "Anyone who casts a vote is, ipso facto, participating as a citizen."

how to use it:

Carefully!

"Ipso facto" sounds so stuffy and so academic that, if you drop it into casual conversation, you're like to sound like a puffed-up bozo. So if you're creating a character who's a puffed-up bozo, let them say "ipso facto" a lot and your job is done!

The good thing about this phrase, though, is that its meaning is pretty obvious, even to people who haven't heard it before. It's easy to hear the "fact" in "ipso facto."

Generally we say that, when one thing is true, ipso facto, another thing is also true. Or, the opposite: we deny that just because one thing is true, that ipso facto, another thing is true.

examples:

"The United States figure skating nationals are ipso facto rich with drama and controversy, but the stakes are never higher than every fourth year when they double as the Olympic trials."
— Bryan Armen Graham, The Guardian, 8 January 2018

"This is an extraordinarily irritating book, written by one of those people who smugly believe that, having lost their faith, they must ipso facto have found their reason."
— Christopher Hitchens, New York Times, 17 June 2011

has this page helped you understand "ipso facto"?

Awesome, I'm glad it helped!

Thanks for letting me know!
If you have any questions about this word, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

study it:

Explain the meaning of "ipso facto" without saying "automatically" or "because of that fact."

try it out:

Fill in the blanks: "There is no good reason to think that (something) is ipso facto any better than (something else)."

Example 1: "There is no good reason to think that an expensive cosmetic is ipso facto any better than an affordable one."

Example 2: "There is no good reason to think that negative reviews are ipso facto any more honest, more intelligent, freer of strategy, instrumentality, or profit-motive than positive reviews."
— David Gorin, Boston Review, 17 September 2013

before you review, play:

Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.

Our game this month is "Name that Sketchplanation!"

Check out the sketch below, created by Jono Hey at Sketchplanations.com.

Focus on the title, and see if you can come up with the word or phrase that belongs in the blurry spot. It'll be one we've studied before.

See the answer on the original Sketchplanation!

And if you like, review the word here.

review this word:

1. A near opposite of IPSO FACTO is

A. FULLY EXPLORED.
B. AUTOMATICALLY FALSE.
C. TEMPORARILY ACCEPTABLE.

2. The narrator in Go Set a Watchman says, "I reckon he thinks my living alone in New York _____ living in sin."

A. ipso-factos
B. is ipso facto
C. ipso factos with

a final word:

I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.

From my blog:
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A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.

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