actually

adverb

ac·​tu·​al·​ly ˈak-ch(ə-w)ə-lē 

-sh(ə-w)ə-lē;

ˈaksh-lē,

ˈaks-

1

: in act or in fact : really

trying to find out what actually happened

won't actually arrive for an hour

2

: in point of fact

—used to suggest something unexpected

was surprised to learn that she could actually speak German

Synonyms

• admittedly
• forsooth
• frankly
• honestly
• indeed
• really
• truly
• truthfully
• verily

Examples of actually in a Sentence

actually, I'd rather spend the evening at home

I call her Aunt Emily, but she is actually my cousin, not my aunt.

Recent Examples on the Web

And most homeowners won’t grumble much, as long as their house price doesn’t actually fall in nominal terms. —John Stepek, Bloomberg.com, 13 June 2024

Now, my kid associates it with getting help, feeling secure, actually getting positive change. —Anna Halkidis, Parents, 12 June 2024

So being able to surprise people with secret athleticism is something that surprised me, actually. —Randee Dawn, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2024

Typically, about 50-60% of the stipend is actually passed along to the caregiver. —Kayla Dwyer, The Indianapolis Star, 12 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English actuelly, from actuel, actual actual + -ly -ly entry 2

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

actually

adverb

ac·​tu·​al·​ly ˈak-ch(ə-w)ə-lē 

ˈak-sh(ə-w)ə-lē

: in fact or in truth : really

she actually spoke Spanish

actually, I didn't want to go