factish (faktish)

[ How happily does he expose that factish element in human nature, which led a distinguished astronomer to describe the theories of the Principia as "mere crotchets of Mr. Newton!" The Academy, Jan. 2, 1886. A situation in which all factitious distinctions were of le worth than individual prowe and efficiency. Pre scott, Ferd. and Isa., Int. Manners are factitious , and grow out of circumstances, as well as out of character. Emerson, Conduct of Life. He takes away all the screens which give a factitious dignity and elevation to governments and men. Whipple, E . and Rev., I. 147. Rock alum [is] a factitious article consisting of crystalline fragments of alum not larger than almonds, coloured with Venetian red. Ure, Dict., III. 709. =Syn. Artificial , Factitious , Unnatural. Artificial means done by art, as opposed to natural . That is unnatural which departs in any way from what is natural: as, un natural excitement. An artificial or factitious demand in the market is one that is manufactured, the latter being the more laboriously worked up; a factitious demand exists only in the invention of one and the imagination of another; an unnatural demand is greater than the laws of trade would produce. Artificial and factitious gemms. Sir T. Browne , Vulg. Err., i. 1. The factitious is the elaborately artificial in things of a moral, social, or material kind. A factitious demand is one which has been artificially created by pains and effort and le to the skill which produces the artificial . C. J. Smith , Synonymes, p. 120. sunny, solitary place, not like a spectre, but like some friend whom I had basely injured. R. L. Stevens on, Merry Men. 3. In law, an actual or alleged physical or mental event or existence, as distinguished from a legal effect or consequence: as in the phrases matter of fact, question of fact, the facts of the case, as distinguished from matter of law, question of law, the law of the case. Thus, whether certain words were spoken is a question of fact; whether, if spoken, they constituted a binding promise, is usually a question of law. - Ablative fact, a fact which accord ing to law takes away a right. - Collateral facts. See collateral. - Collative fact, a fact appointed by law to give commencement to a right. - Conclusion of fact. See conclusion. - Divestitive fact. Same as ablative fact. Error in fact. See error. - Evidential or evidentiary facts. See evidential. - Fact of consciousne , a fact whose existence is given and guaranteed by an original and nece ary belief. - Fixed fact. See fixed. - In fact, in reality; in truth; indeed. Dangle. It certainly must hurt an author of delicate feelings to see the liberties they [the newspapers] take. Sir Fret . No! quite the contrary; their abuse is, in fact , the best panegyric - I like it of all things. In the factt, in the act. Sheridan, The Critic, i. 1. It cannot be evidently proved, or they likely taken in the fact. Burton , Anat. of Mel., p. 582. Investitive fact. Same as collative fact. - The fact, the truth: in such collocations as, Is it the fact that he said so?-Ultimate fact, an indemonstrable truth. fact a, n. Plural of factum .