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

These styles are actually designed to fit shorter frames — no pooling, dragging, or scrunching required. —Jamie Allison Sanders, PEOPLE, 28 Dec. 2025

Somehow, against all odds, this is actually happening. —Lucy Ford, Time, 27 Dec. 2025

But an overloaded dryer can't do that, and regular overloading will actually knock the sensors out of commission entirely. —Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 27 Dec. 2025

This is actually a two-in-one bag since the two compartments can be clipped together or used separately for maximum versatility. —Brittany Vanderbill, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Dec. 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