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

• honestly
• frankly
• really
• indeed

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

Failures that are particularly funny or noteworthy might receive some attention, but the majority of content is designed to talk about how the user is learning, growing or succeeding in some way—even if that isn’t actually happening. —Drew Gerber, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025

Juventus have announced a new contract with kit manufacturer Adidas — which, contrary to general trends in elite football, is actually worth less in real terms than their last one. —Phil Hay, New York Times, 20 June 2025

Scoop up mainstays that are actually worth it, including the Levi’s denim trucker jacket, Madewell’s high-neck tank top in soft cotton, and a new pair of Mother jeans. —Kristina Rutkowski, Vogue, 20 June 2025

And the politics of it actually tell a bigger story. —David Weigel, semafor.com, 20 June 2025

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

Rhymes for actually

• contextually
• unusually
• dually

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