actually

adverb

ac·​tu·​al·​ly ˈak-ch(ə-w)ə-lē How to pronounce actually (audio)
-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

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
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
The latter point, regarding jobs, is actually a major problem, but in the short term most investors will ignore it until well after the election. Joel Shulman, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024 He actually got lit on fire for that scene, which was incredible. Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 29 Oct. 2024 Government can be good and silly, actually, was always the thesis here. Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 29 Oct. 2024 Thousands of people will descend on downtown Indianapolis for Taylor Swift's Eras Tour concerts Nov. 1-3, but not all of them will actually be at the concert. Bradley Hohulin, The Indianapolis Star, 29 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for actually 

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of actually was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near actually

Cite this Entry

“Actually.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/actually. Accessed 12 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

actually

adverb
ac·​tu·​al·​ly ˈak-ch(ə-w)ə-lē How to pronounce actually (audio)
ˈak-sh(ə-w)ə-lē
: in fact or in truth : really
she actually spoke Spanish
actually, I didn't want to go

More from Merriam-Webster on actually

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