Synonyms

actual

American

[ak-choo-uhl] / ˈæk tʃu əl /

adjective

existing in act or fact; real.

an actual case of heroism; actual expenses.

Synonyms:

veritable, authentic, genuine

Antonyms:

fictional, unreal
existing now; present; current.

The ship's actual position is 22 miles due east of Miami.
Obsolete. pertaining to or involving acts or action.

actual British

/ ˈæktʃʊəl /

adjective

existing in reality or as a matter of fact
real or genuine
existing at the present time; current
informal (usually preceded by your) (intensifier)

that music's by your actual Mozart, isn't 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

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

Related Words

See real ¹.

Other Word Forms

actualness noun
nonactual adjective
nonactualness noun

Etymology

Origin of actual

First recorded in 1275–1325; from Late Latin āctuālis, from Latin āctu(s) act + -ālis -al ¹; replacing Middle English actuel, from Middle French, from Latin

Compare meaning

How does actual compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

actual vs. theoretical

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“Of course I like to show the great future, the big dream. But we have to show the actual data, the actual result. That is the key for my company.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 4, 2026

Sax argues, “That desire fits this very base desire as humans, which is to touch things, to interact with things, to buy things, to do actual things outside of our screens.”

From Slate • Apr. 4, 2026

None of these summer-style temperatures in early spring bodes well for the actual summer ahead, in which a “Super El Niño” is predicted to unleash itself, a weather phenomenon some are calling “Godzilla El Niño.”

From Salon • Apr. 4, 2026

Stockman walked readers through the enormous gap between the casual assumption that there were vast amounts of bloat and free money in the federal budget and the actual reality when you looked at the numbers.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 3, 2026

SABIO, BEX: But it can’t be the actual Elizabeth Gibson, can it?

From "The First State of Being" by Erin Entrada Kelly

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023