actuality

noun

ac·​tu·​al·​i·​ty ˌak-chə-ˈwa-lə-tē 

ˌak-shə-

plural actualities

1

: the quality or state of being actual

2

: something that is actual : fact, reality

… possible risks which have been seized upon as actualities …

—T. S. Eliot

Phrases

in actuality

: in actual fact : in truth

… while this sounds like a positive …, it is in actuality a negative.

—Thomas Niel

Synonyms of actuality

• existence

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

There are no areas of London that are home to quite that much derelict real estate, after all — in actuality, this kind of territory would soon be rampant with pop-up food trucks and redevelopment. —Catherine Bray, Variety, 26 Nov. 2025

But Anderson punctures his weed haze with the bright light of a past that in actuality never dimmed, when Lockjaw begins to hunt Pat and Willa. —Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 24 Nov. 2025

But Francois is promised to Juliet and doesn’t think his father would understand where his true feelings lie — remember the time in history when all of this was taking place (but then, Shakespeare did have men playing the role of women in actuality). —Rick Mauch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Nov. 2025

The two clips stitched together were, in actuality, more than 50 minutes apart. —Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 11 Nov. 2025

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

Rhymes for actuality

• angiography
• laryngoscopy
• ostracod
• predominately
• sensuality
• stochastically
• abc
• absentee
• addressee
• adoptee
• agouti
• allottee