Meaning & use
key fact
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Meanings
nouncountable
an important piece of information that is central to understanding a situation or subject.
Grammar: Countable: use a/an or a plural, e.g. "a key fact", "the key facts".
Patterns
- a key fact about something
- the key facts of something
- know a key fact
Before the meeting, she wrote down one key fact about each client.
A key fact about the case is that nobody saw the car leave.
The teacher asked us to list the key facts of the war in order.
nouncountable
a single essential detail used to support an argument or answer.
Grammar: Often used in the plural when several details are listed together.
Patterns
- state a key fact
- key facts and figures
- a key fact for something
He stated one key fact and then sat down.
The report gives the key facts and figures in a short table.
For a history essay, a key fact is often a date or a name.
Word forms
| plural | key facts |
|---|
Common combinations
- a key fact about
- There is one key fact about the new law that everyone should know.
- the key facts of
- She summarized the key facts of the study in two minutes.
- state a key fact
- Please state one key fact that supports your opinion.
- key facts and figures
- The brochure lists key facts and figures about the school.
- remember a key fact
- I always remember one key fact from that lesson.
Synonyms and how they differ
- essential fact
- Very close in meaning, but sounds more formal and is less common in everyday speech.
- important detail
- Wider and softer; it can refer to something helpful but not central.
- key point
- Similar, but refers to an idea or argument rather than a piece of information.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: key fact or fact? key fact or key point?
key fact vs fact
"Fact" alone means any true piece of information; "key fact" is only the one that matters most.
key fact vs key point
A "key point" is an important idea or argument, while a "key fact" is a piece of information you can check.
Practice
Which sentence uses "key fact" correctly?
Choose one answer.
"Key fact" is countable, so it needs a determiner such as "a": "a key fact about the schedule." Option 2 is missing a determiner, option 3 has two prepositions, and option 4 mixes "a" with a plural noun.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “key fact”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.