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 of actually

• 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

May 21 – June 20 One idea today needs a real plan to actually work. —Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 Apr. 2026

Walks have exploded under new ABS system With the introduction of challenges, MLB had to essentially redefine the strike zone to ensure that the tracking system would consistently and accurately measure what actually is a strike or ball. —Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 29 Apr. 2026

Although there seem to be a lot of gate companies, only a handful of us actually manufacture. —Clio Chang, Curbed, 28 Apr. 2026

One open question is whether such a space would actually be used for the events now being cited as justification. —Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 28 Apr. 2026

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

• dually
• contextually
• unusually

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