Fact vs Opinion

Definition of Fact

The fact is something that has actually taken place or known to have existed, which can be validated with
pieces of evidence. They are strictly defined, and can be measured, observed and proven. It refers to
something that makes statements true and used in connection with research and study.

A fact can be an event or information, based on real occurrences which can be tested through verifiability,
i.e. they are supported by proofs, statistics, documentation, etc. Therefore, a fact is nothing but a
verifiable truth or reality, which is agreed upon by consensus of people.

Definition of Opinion

The term ‘opinion’ is defined as the personal view or judgment about a subject, that may or may not be
substantiated by the facts or positive knowledge. In other words, an opinion is an inconclusive statement,
used in subjective matters, which cannot be proved true or false. It is what a person thinks or feels about
something or someone. Hence it is not a true but biased information.

Opinion is highly influenced by a person’s feelings, thoughts, perspective, desires, attitude, experiences,
understanding, beliefs, values, etc., which cannot be tested by concrete evidence. Therefore, due to
individual differences, every person’s opinion on a particular matter is also different.

Key Differences Between Fact and Opinion

The difference between fact and opinion on the following grounds:

1. The fact is described as the statement that can be verified or proved to be true. Opinion is an
expression of judgment or belief about something.
2. Fact relies on observation or research while opinion is based on assumption.
3. The fact is an objective reality whereas opinion is a subjective statement.
4. Facts can be verified with the help of evidence or statistics. On the contrary, opinion is not
supported by any evidence.
5. Facts explain what actually happened. Unlike an opinion, that represents a perception about
something.
6. One important feature of the fact is that it is universal and does not differ from person to person.
As against this, every human being has a different opinion on a particular subject and so, it varies
from one person to another.
7. Facts are shown with unbiased words, however, opinion is expressed with biased words.
8. Facts can change anybody’s opinion, but vice versa is not possible.
9. Facts are real information and so it cannot be challenged or debated, but if we talk about
opinions, they can be debated.

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