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

Strahm had just retired the right-handed hitting Mookie Betts and has actually been better against right-handers than lefties this season. —Charlotte Varnes, New York Times, 5 Oct. 2025

As comedians from Bill Burr to Kevin Hart were slammed for performing at Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Comedy Festival, Dave Chappelle said the Middle Eastern nation is actually more suitable for stand-up than the United States. —Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 4 Oct. 2025

The seemingly unusual practice is actually reminiscent of a centuries-old tactic but can often provide insight to investigators. —Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN Money, 4 Oct. 2025

Let’s choose to be parents who focus on the things that actually matter, not the ones that add pressure and steal joy. —Jonathan Carone, Parents, 4 Oct. 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