Difference Between Fact and Opinion (With Table)

Facts are typically one that has been repeatedly confirmed through observation and experiment. Moreover, it is noticeable that most facts are pretty straightforward, and it is easier to tell that it is a fact or not. The opinion is a point of view or stance on an issue that is often expressed in writing. Both Fact and Opinion may sometimes seem indistinguishable, yet they are exceptionally distinguishable.

Fact vs Opinion

The main difference between Fact and Opinion is that a Fact is an actual event or observation that are most facts are pretty straightforward, and it is easier to find whether it is a fact or not, whereas an Opinion, on the other hand, is a judgment, belief, or appraisal that are not pretty straightforward and easier.

Facts are used to represent all that comprise the Fact-set. For many situations, deciding on a course of action isn’t the goal. In the decision-making process, many use Facts as a way to guide in coming up with a choice. For instance, Should we go to the mall? And it’s a proven fact that the Earth orbits around the Sun.

An opinion is a judgment, belief, or appraisal that includes many events and observations that can be an opinion. For instance, most people like to eat apples, most people prefer the color red over the color blue, and Spain has more beaches than any other country in Europe.

Comparison Table Between Fact and Opinion

Parameters of Comparison

Fact

Opinion

Definition

Fact is a statement or assertion of truth based on real or perceived evidence.

An opinion is a judgment, belief, or appraisal that includes many events and observations.

Portray

It portrays an event that has occurred and is true.

It portrays the view of different people.

Proven

Yes

No

Universal

Yes

No

Controversial

No

Yes

Example

The Earth orbits around the Sun.

Most people like to eat Pizza.

What is Fact?

Fact is a statement or assertion of truth based on real or perceived evidence. In other words, the Fact is something that happened, as opposed to something made up. It is also called a statement of proven truth value, typically one that has been repeatedly confirmed through observation and experiment. So it’s not just anything that seems true, but something that has to be based on some kind of factual evidence.

Facts can be ranked according to how reliable they are from proven to provable to possible. A proven fact is the highest level of factual certainty a person can have. It is something that has been proven with evidence, and it has been tested by experts who agree that it is a proven fact. Not only is it true, but also it is unlikely to have ever been proven to be false.

For instance, It is a proven fact that the Earth is round. It is repeatedly proven by scientists all over the world, and there is no doubt that it is round. It would be ridiculous to doubt that the Earth is round. It is so well established as the fact that many people have already agreed to it. Moreover, it is also a proven fact that the Earth orbits around the Sun. It has been repeatedly tested by scientists all over the world, which is also a well-established fact.

What is Opinion?

The Opinion is a point of view or stance on an issue that is often expressed in writing. Everyone has an opinion about something. As a result, when someone has an opinion about something, another person has a different opinion from someone else. This difference in Opinion is what people call “Opinions.”

The opinion is one of those words that can be tricky to define because it comes in different forms and contexts. Moreover, Opinions are not stories. A person can’t read a story and choose to fill it with information based on your expertise and direct experience.

People often use “Opinion” as a synonym for “idea.” When discussing social issues, it Is common to hear people say things like our opinions aren’t the same, or my opinions on this are a little different from others. However, when taking a deeper look at the Opinion, it is found that it is much more than just a random idea and it is something that can have value and purpose.

Every opinion a person has is subjective, but it can be useful for expressing feelings and beliefs. Unlike ideas, Opinions are expressed in words through language. They are much more objective in nature, but they are still subject to interpretation.

Main Differences Between Fact and Opinion

  1. Fact is a statement or assertion of truth based on real or perceived evidence, whereas, An opinion is a judgment, belief, or appraisal that includes many events and observations.
  2. Fact portrays an event that has occurred and is true, whereas an Opinion portrays the view of different people.
  3. Fact is a statement of proven truth-value that has been repeatedly confirmed through observation and experiment, whereas an opinion is not a statement of proven truth-value.
  4. Fact is a statement of proven universal truth-value based on real or perceived evidence, whereas an Opinion is a statement of proven universal truth-value based on real or perceived evidence.
  5. Fact is not controversial, whereas, Opinion is controversial.
  6. For instance Fact, it is a proven fact that the Earth orbits around the Sun, whereas, for instance, Opinion, most people like to eat apples, and most people prefer the color red over the color blue.

Conclusion

Fact and Opinion may seem confusing and indistinguishable, but they are not. The Fact is a statement or assertion of truth based on real or perceived evidence. In other words, the Fact is something that happened or typically one that has been repeatedly confirmed through observation and experiment. It’s a proven fact that the Earth is round. It’s been repeatedly proven by scientists all over the world, and there is no doubt that it is round, and that is called a well-established Fact.

The opinion is one of those words that can be tricky to define because it comes in different forms and contexts. However, Opinion depends on the person where, every opinion a person has is subjective, but it can be useful for expressing their feelings and beliefs.

References

  1. https://www.thompsoncoburn.com/docs/default-source/Bio-related-documents/opinion-and-libel.pdf
  2. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3950514
  3. https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1933-03464-001