actual

adjective

ac·​tu·​al ˈak-ch(ə-w)əl 

-sh(ə-w)əl;

-chü-əl,

-shü-

1

a

: existing in fact or reality

actual events

actual and imagined conditions

b

: not false or apparent

actual costs

c

—used for emphasis

This is the actual room in which my grandfather was born.

2

: existing or occurring at the time

caught in the actual commission of a crime

3

obsolete : active

Synonyms

• concrete
• de facto
• effective
• existent
• factual
• genuine
• real
• sure-enough
• true
• very

Examples of actual in a Sentence

They signed the agreement in the spring, but the actual sale wasn't made until that summer.

You deposit money in a bank account but the actual money is not held there.

The actual cost of the repair was much higher than the estimate.

Recent Examples on the Web

The advertised battery life was always shorter than the actual burn time. —Ashley Thess, Outdoor Life, 14 Nov. 2024

One of the great pleasures of reading novels is the way their residue stays on my mind’s skin like actual memories. —Erik Pedersen, Orange County Register, 14 Nov. 2024

But ProPublica found that the actual actions taken so far do not match the regulators’ rhetoric. —Max Blau, ProPublica, 14 Nov. 2024

Erin showed up to this, was game, and seemed to have an actual good time. —Brian Moylan, Vulture, 12 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, "active, existing in fact," borrowed from Anglo-French & Late Latin; Anglo-French actuel, borrowed from Late Latin āctuālis, from Latin āctus act entry 1 + -ālis -al entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Phrases Containing actual

• actual cash value
• in actual fact

Kids Definition

actual

adjective

ac·​tu·​al ˈak-ch(ə-w)əl 

ˈak-sh(ə-w)əl

: existing in fact and not merely as a possibility

actuality

ˌak-chə-ˈwal-ət-ē

-shə-

noun

actualization

ˈak-ch(ə-w)ə-lə-ˈzā-shən

-sh(ə-w)ə-

noun

actualize

-ˌīz

verb

Legal Definition

actual

adjective

ac·​tu·​al

: existing in fact or reality compare constructive

actually adverb