Legal Definitions - post-factum

Post-factum

Post-factum means something that is done after an event has already happened. It is also known as an after-act.

• After the exam, the teacher realized that she had made a mistake in grading the papers. She had to correct the grades post-factum.
• The company changed its policy post-factum, after receiving complaints from customers.

These examples illustrate how post-factum is used to describe an action that is taken after an event has already occurred. In the first example, the teacher corrected the grades after the exam had already taken place. In the second example, the company changed its policy after receiving complaints from customers. Both actions were taken after the event had already happened.