actual
Americanadjective
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existing in reality or as a matter of fact
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real or genuine
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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
Synonym Usage
See real 1.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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:
Explanation
If you describe something as actual, it really exists or is true. You might excitedly tell your friends that you saw an actual bald eagle land on your mailbox. Use the adjective actual when you want to emphasize that something is certain or confirmed, especially when it's different from what you expected. For example, you might say, "The actual length of my cousin's visit was three weeks, even though she said she'd stay three days." The Old French root is actuel, "now existing," from the Latin word actus, "a doing, driving, or impulse."
Vocabulary lists containing actual
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.
As the breakdown below illustrates, the horizontal block of his wealth is almost entirely consumed by two massive corporate holdings, leaving virtually no room for actual cash.
From BBC • Jun. 12, 2026
It is outcome-based reimbursement tied to the child’s actual quality of life—and a serious reckoning with whether ABA, at any price, is the right product at all.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 12, 2026
As of June 4, the project site will be cut in half from 40,000 acres to 20,000 and the actual center itself likely taking up about 10,000 acres.
From Salon • Jun. 12, 2026
The top comes off the miniature SoFi Stadium on the Rams ring, for instance, and the field below is made of a melted-down patch of the actual artificial turf.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 12, 2026
So far, though, we could only be excited about the honor of it because we wouldn’t get the actual award till Fire Prevention Day.
From "The Best School Year Ever" by Barbara Robinson
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.
