De Jure Corporation

De jure is just a fancy way of saying something like “officially.”

A de jure corporation meets all the requirements to be a corporation under the law. Its owners have filed all the paperwork, paid all the fees and met all the rules for the jurisdiction it will exist under.

The concept provides a contrast to “de facto,” which is something that exists in fact, even if it didn’t do it through an official track. If you’ve lived with your romantic partner for 20 years, have raised two kids together, have joint bank accounts, and go to all of each other’s family and work functions, you are de facto married. If you also go to a church or the city hall, say some specific words and get a document from the state, then you become de jure married. (Of the jury, or "as judged" in Latin.)