fact are statemants that can be shown or can be prove, and can be empirical,analytical,evaluative, or metaphysical. most people only count statemants proven by observation as facts. any other statement is written off as opinion. by implication, only science has facts. but dictionaries define fact more generally as something that can be shown to be true, to exist, or to have happened. is that a fact? it is. can you verify this claim by observation? no. therefore, at least one kind of fact can't be opserved. the definition of fact is a fact because that's how knowledgeable england speakers agree to use the term. definition are analytical facts, verified by linguistic usage, not by observation.