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
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
Surely, every generation faces this devastating crossroads of actual adulthood.
—
Annah Feinberg, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2026
Malone is 19 years younger and surely will be more willing to surround himself with actual college basketball experts, instead of trying to turn UNC into the NBA’s 31st franchise.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 6 Apr. 2026
Aurelian, one of the companies offering AI assistance to dispatchers, found that 64% of all calls coming into dispatch centers are not actual emergencies, and that 70% of those non-emergency calls can be handled by AI without the need for human participation.
—Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 6 Apr. 2026
As for the actual game, the Mets ended up winning 9-0.
—Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for actual
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Annah Feinberg, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2026
Malone is 19 years younger and surely will be more willing to surround himself with actual college basketball experts, instead of trying to turn UNC into the NBA’s 31st franchise.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 6 Apr. 2026
Aurelian, one of the companies offering AI assistance to dispatchers, found that 64% of all calls coming into dispatch centers are not actual emergencies, and that 70% of those non-emergency calls can be handled by AI without the need for human participation.
—Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 6 Apr. 2026
As for the actual game, the Mets ended up winning 9-0.
—Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for actual
Cite this Entry
“Actual.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/actual. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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
noun
ˌak-chə-ˈwal-ət-ē,
-shə-
actualization
noun
ˈak-ch(ə-w)ə-lə-ˈzā-shən,
-sh(ə-w)ə-
actualize
verb
-ˌīz
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