De Jure
adjective / adverb /deɪ ˈdʒʊər.eɪ/ — According to law; by legal right, regardless of actual practice
Definition
According to law — the officially, legally recognised state of affairs, as opposed to de facto (what actually exists in practice). De jure recognition is formal and legal; de facto recognition is practical and real.
Beyond the definition
De jure and de facto together describe one of law's most interesting tensions — what the law says versus what actually happens. History is full of situations where they diverge for years, even decades.
Origin & history
Latin: 'from the law'. The counterpart to de facto — recognising something by formal legal right rather than practical reality.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
The company remained the de jure owner long after de facto control had passed to creditors.
Apartheid ended de jure in 1994; its de facto effects persisted far longer.
De jure equality and de facto equality are two very different things.
How to use it
Follow this entry’s examples for grammatical form and sentence placement.
Choose “De Jure” when the meaning fits your context: According to law — the officially, legally recognised state of affairs, as opposed to de facto (what actually exists in practice). De jure recognition is formal and legal; de facto recognition is practical and real.
Synonyms
legally, by right, officially, in law
Antonyms
de facto, in practice, effectively
Related words
De Jure vs de facto
De jure refers to official law or formal status, while de facto refers to the practical reality. They are often contrasted when a situation is technically illegal (de jure) but common in practice (de facto). Use de jure for technical legality.
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Formal Document in Grand Courtroom
An adult stands in a wood-paneled courtroom, holding a document, emphasizing the weight of the legal processes.
The courtroom is the space where the law formally defines the state of affairs. De jure refers to this official, legally recognised recognition, contrasted with what is happening in reality; it is the law as it exists on paper.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration
Questions about this word
What does "De Jure" mean?
De Jure is adjective / adverb meaning: According to law; by legal right, regardless of actual practice. According to law — the officially, legally recognised state of affairs, as opposed to de facto (what actually exists in practice). De jure recognition is formal and legal; de facto recognition is practical and real.
Where does the word "De Jure" come from?
Latin: 'from the law'. The counterpart to de facto — recognising something by formal legal right rather than practical reality.