actual
[ ak-choo-uhl ]
/ ˈæk tʃu əl /
adjective
existing in act or fact; real: an actual case of heroism; actual expenses.
existing now; present; current: The ship's actual position is 22 miles due east of Miami.
Obsolete. pertaining to or involving acts or action.
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RELATED WORDS
Nearby words
actressy, acts, acts of the apostles, actt, actu, actual, actual bodily harm, actual cautery, actual cost, actual sin, actualism
Origin of actual
Related formsac·tu·al·ness, nounnon·ac·tu·al, adjectivenon·ac·tu·al·ness, noun
Synonym study
1. See real1.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for actual
British Dictionary definitions for actual
actual
/ (ˈæktʃʊəl) /
adjective
existing in reality or as a matter of fact
real or genuine
existing at the present time; current
(usually preceded by your) British informal, often facetious (intensifier)that music's by your actual Mozart, isn't it?
See also actuals
Word Origin for actual
C14: actuel existing, from Late Latin āctuālis relating to acts, practical, from Latin āctus act
usage
The excessive use of actual and actually should be avoided. They are unnecessary in sentences such as in actual fact, he is forty-two, and he did actually go to the play but did not enjoy it
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for actual
actual
early 14c., "pertaining to an action," from Old French actuel "now existing, up to date" (13c.), from Late Latin actualis "active, pertaining to action," adjectival form of Latin actus (see act (n.)). The broader sense of "real, existing" (as opposed to potential, ideal, etc.) is from late 14c.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper