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

What would a fair deal between the AI companies and the creative industries actually look like? — Lane Brown, Vulture, 23 Sep. 2026

If the team succeeds, the result could transform a technology normally associated with large laboratory instruments into a compact quantum sensor that can be carried where the threat actually is. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 23 Sep. 2026

But what's better is seeing that the museum actually supports the surrounding community. — Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 22 Sep. 2026

Does hiding cottage cheese in dessert actually boost protein? — Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 22 Sep. 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