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

• admittedly
• forsooth
• frankly
• honestly
• indeed
• really
• truly
• truthfully
• verily

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

For retailers, this analysis addresses the knowledge gap around how retailers actually monetize Sponsored Products ads and how various approaches impacts advertising revenue. —Kiri Masters, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025

Aside from the question of funding Trump’s goal, a major rethinking of current plans for the property — actually two independent plans derived from two lawsuits — would probably be needed to accommodate 6,000 new residents. —Doug Smith, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2025

And Marguerite did actually manage to live there for years, scraping together a life on the hostile tundra. —The Atlantic, 15 May 2025

Such was the American’s dominance in this era, nobody had seriously questioned where the trophy actually was, but after a third-straight win, the question was indeed finally asked. —Patrick Snell, CNN Money, 15 May 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