fact of life

noun

Something that cannot be avoided; a stark reality of existence.

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Meanings

nounfact of life (plural facts of life)

plural facts of life

  1. idiomaticSomething that cannot be avoided; a stark reality of existence.

Origin

First use appears c. 1806.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Dutch levensfeit
  • levensfeitTranslations
French réalité de la vie
  • réalité de la vieTranslations
German Gegebenheit des Lebens
  • Gegebenheit des LebensTranslations
Italian un dato di fatto
  • un dato di fattoTranslations
Spanish ley de vida
  • ley de vidaTranslations
Cite this entry
APA

fact of life. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fact%20of%20life

MLA

“fact of life.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fact%20of%20life. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “fact of life,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fact%20of%20life.

Source: fact of life on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.