ACTUAL Synonyms: 91 Similar and Opposite Words

actual

adjective

ˈak-ch(ə-w)əl

as in real

existing in fact and not merely as a possibility the actual outcome of the election was quite different from what everybody had expected

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Recent Examples of actual Since its opening in 1912, the hotel has been a haven for Hollywood royalty and actual royalty, too. —

Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 17 Apr. 2026 Honestly, at this point, trying to fake some empathy and some actual forgiveness for these people would be faster for Dorit than to just keep shouting them down. —

Brian Moylan, Vulture, 17 Apr. 2026 Premium and economy passengers will also still be required to purchase an actual seat, with these sleeping pods instead being available for an additional session fee of NZ$495 (about $280 per session). —

Emma Clarke, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Apr. 2026 Denilson Baniwa has argued that one of Indigenous art’s most effective instruments of resistance is disguise—the adoption of non-Indigenous forms to achieve legibility in white, institutional terms, while the actual logic resides elsewhere, unreadable to those the work isn’t intended for. —

María Carri, Artforum, 16 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for actual

Recent Examples of Synonyms for actual

Adjective

In other words, these programs offer actresses real opportunities as well as scenes in which they’re seated at their dressing tables putting on diamond earrings while coping with a situation involving a DNA test.

— Libby Gelman-Waxner, New Yorker, 21 Apr. 2026
Each has hit a real scoring rhythm when their teams need them most.

— Thom Harris, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2026