actuality

noun

ac·​tu·​al·​i·​ty ˌak-chə-ˈwa-lə-tē How to pronounce actuality (audio)
ˌak-shə-
plural actualities
Synonyms of actualitynext
1
: the quality or state of being actual
2
: something that is actual : fact, reality
… possible risks which have been seized upon as actualitiesT. S. Eliot

see also in actuality

Examples of actuality in a Sentence

The actuality was quite different from the theory. the actuality of the Abominable Snowman is not taken seriously by scientists
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In actuality, 5-year-olds and 2-year-olds are being shipped to a private prison in Texas. Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 9 Feb. 2026 In actuality, honesty is the best policy. Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 7 Feb. 2026 In actuality, cyber risk failures are privacy failures. Chuck Brooks, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026 In actuality, the Eureka machine, as the Quaker polymath called it, was a physical prototype of Swift’s knowledge engine. Literary Hub, 21 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for actuality

Word History

Etymology

Middle English actualite "capacity for action, effective power," borrowed from Medieval Latin āctuālitāt-, āctuālitās, from Late Latin āctuālis actual + Latin -itāt-, -itās -ity

First Known Use

1587, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of actuality was in 1587

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Cite this Entry

“Actuality.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/actuality. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.

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