de facto union

noun

A non-solemnized marriage-like relationship, in which the partners enjoy some of the rights and obligations of marriage, similar in some ways to a common-law marriage.

OriginFrench union de fait →
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Meanings

nounde facto union (plural de facto unions)

plural de facto unions

  1. QuebeclawA non-solemnized marriage-like relationship, in which the partners enjoy some of the rights and obligations of marriage, similar in some ways to a common-law marriage.

Origin

  1. Frenchunion de fait
  2. Englishde facto union

Calque of French union de fait.

More words from French

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

de facto union. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/de%20facto%20union

MLA

“de facto union.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/de%20facto%20union. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “de facto union,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/de%20facto%20union.

Source: de facto union on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.