Wiktionary
n. 1 (context legal English) A fact essential to make a case or a defense, or the absence of which negates a case or defense. 2 (context legal real estate law English) A fact that might alter a person's decision to buy a property or change the terms and price a buyer is willing to accept. 3 (context legal insurance law English) A fact that might alter an insurer's decision to agree to provide insurance to a person or alter the terms and conditions or the rate of premium on a policy.
Wikipedia
A material fact is a fact that would be to a reasonable person germane to the decision to be made as distinguished from an insignificant, trivial or unimportant detail. In other words, it is a fact which expression (concealment) would reasonably result in a different decision.
Falsification of a material fact in such a manner that, had the insurance company known the truth, it would not have insured the risk. Misrepresentation of a material fact gives an insurance company grounds to rescind a contract.
If material facts about the investment property lying in a floodplain had been communicated to the buyer, he would not have bought.
Usage examples of "material fact".
Defendant-appellees in the instant case have pursued a similar course, and the district court has joined with their pursuit, conjuring up once more this spectre of novelty in arguments relying heavily on citations from a more recent case in which the judge determined this to be the 'sole issue' before the court in granting defendants' motion for summary judgment, and affirmed in the review by the appeals court limiting its decision to whether there was 'no genuine issue as to any material fact' entitling defendants to 'judgment as a matter of law.
Gibbon, it may be fearlessly asserted, is rarely chargeable even with the suppression of any material fact, which bears upon individual character.
But I solemnly affirm in advance the entire and absolute truth of every material fact, statement and description.
That even this 'geography', once held as a material fact, could now be classed as a mere folk-tale affects its value very little.
Section 5 of the Act says, 'Any person who willfully fails to file any statement required to be filed under this act, or, in complying with the provisions of this act, makes a false statement of a material fact, or willfully omits to state any material fact required to be stated therein, shall, on conviction thereof, be punished by a fine of not more than $1000 or imprisonment for not more than two years, or both.
I seriously considered suing the man for misrepresentation of material fact.
And the fact that Charles climbed up to the entrance hole, which is the only material fact he can add to the evidence, would only operate against David.