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
Only 41% of brands surveyed revealed their wage policies, and just 24% provided data on the actual wages paid throughout their supply chains.
—
Dianne Plummer, Forbes.com, 4 June 2025
Rizzo doesn't seem to think that Cleveland will give him that chance, but the actual answer to that question is currently unknown.
—Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 June 2025
This means both the spring and the frame are beneath the actual jumping area.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 4 June 2025
Karpf urged people to input their DEXA score and other criteria into the Fracture Risk Assessment Tool (FRAX) and consult physicians who understand the shortcomings of DEXA for a fuller assessment of their actual bone density and risk of fragility fractures.
—Jia H. Jung, Mercury News, 4 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for actual
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Dianne Plummer, Forbes.com, 4 June 2025
Rizzo doesn't seem to think that Cleveland will give him that chance, but the actual answer to that question is currently unknown.
—Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 June 2025
This means both the spring and the frame are beneath the actual jumping area.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 4 June 2025
Karpf urged people to input their DEXA score and other criteria into the Fracture Risk Assessment Tool (FRAX) and consult physicians who understand the shortcomings of DEXA for a fuller assessment of their actual bone density and risk of fragility fractures.
—Jia H. Jung, Mercury News, 4 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for actual
Cite this Entry
“Actual.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/actual. Accessed 7 Jun. 2025.
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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