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.
"The actual experience of having him and that love and that joy was real and it was there," he said.
From BBC
The agency counted 188 families entering Mauritania this week and 1,161 families since October 24, but added that the actual numbers were probably higher.
From Barron's
Though Tom is guilty of no actual wrongdoing, the dean has asked him to take a leave of absence to let any possible recriminations blow over.
I was finding in that 18 months, about a month was actual executional stuff being done.
For us, it clicked writing it when we started talking about, “What are Will’s actual fears here in the future?”
From Los Angeles Times
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.
