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
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
No VCs wanted to actually back ElevenLabs, back in the early days on the pre-seed round.
—
Sawdah Bhaimiya, CNBC, 25 Oct. 2025
The 2018 Stanley Cup Final, against the expansion Vegas Golden Knights, was actually the Capitals’ easiest.
—Sean Gentille, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
Whether or not these gadgets actually help with sleep is an open question.
—Nancy Walecki, The Atlantic, 25 Oct. 2025
Reagan did not actually love tariffs.
—Rob Gillies, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2025
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Sawdah Bhaimiya, CNBC, 25 Oct. 2025
The 2018 Stanley Cup Final, against the expansion Vegas Golden Knights, was actually the Capitals’ easiest.
—Sean Gentille, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
Whether or not these gadgets actually help with sleep is an open question.
—Nancy Walecki, The Atlantic, 25 Oct. 2025
Reagan did not actually love tariffs.
—Rob Gillies, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for actually
Cite this Entry
“Actually.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/actually. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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