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

see also:

in actuality

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

The two of them stood on Syl’s porch, which in actuality was just a wide, square block of cement. — Literary Hub, 18 June 2026

In actuality, its premise falls closer to Apple’s Palm Royale or the 2010s ABC drama Revenge, following a mysterious outsider trying to gain a foothold among the elite. — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 16 June 2026

In actuality, the term refers to the trace levels of cocaine and its breakdown products that exist in waterways. — Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 30 May 2026

In actuality, Truman had won the election. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 May 2026

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

Phrases Containing actuality

• in actuality

Rhymes for actuality

• actuary
• antiquary
• bolsheviki
• bronchoscopy
• calliope
• chelicerae
• colposcopy
• covenantee
• cruciferae
• cystoscopy
• diastole
• distributee