actual
Americanadjective
-
existing in reality or as a matter of fact
-
real or genuine
-
existing at the present time; current
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informal (usually preceded by your) (intensifier)
that music's by your actual Mozart, isn't it?
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:
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.
She said this could lead to "tension" and "frustration" if former players tried to access health services, insurance claims or early pensions, because "there's no actual strict diagnostic criteria".
From BBC
It is invitation only, made of actual platinum and might weigh more than the rest of your wallet.
When those are factored in, the U.S. actual balance of payments is about 0.2% of the country’s gross domestic product, a figure the suit calls “essentially a rounding error.”
From Barron's
Ronald Reagan was an actual movie star, but he knew what he believed.
Then there’s the pathological terror of holding an actual opinion.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
