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

Apparently, Michael Caine hasn’t actually retired. —Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 15 Nov. 2025

That can even be the one situation where ghosting is actually completely warranted. —Christina Pérez, Vogue, 15 Nov. 2025

One touch that cozy rooms all have in common is actually a very utilitarian piece, and that's a luggage rack. —Tessa Cooper, Southern Living, 15 Nov. 2025

But scientists believe those bites were actually from larvae of lone star ticks, which can cause alpha-gal syndrome. —NPR, 15 Nov. 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