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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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of actual State special education funding has recently funded only about a third of actual costs, leaving districts to pull funds from other services to meet their legal requirements. —

Rory Linnane, jsonline.com, 23 Jan. 2026 Its words are contradicted by the actual numbers, which clearly prioritize higher pay and benefits for adults. —

Todd Maddison, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Jan. 2026 There’s also a storyline suggesting that the actual sale of the club took place behind the siblings’ backs, with some of them wondering if there couldn’t have been a better deal. —

Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 23 Jan. 2026 Essentially, layers of approval, endless meetings, and hours wasted in workers’ time can be saved, when someone with actual sign-off power is in the room. —

Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 23 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for actual

Recent Examples of Synonyms for actual

Adjective

Dell is finally good at something—but as her behavior becomes riskier and a shadowy troll threatens to expose her dark past, Dell must reckon with what her digital life ignores, and what real redemption means.

— Danielle Parker, CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026
When boys are asked to show up consistently for real people, academic readiness and emotional readiness develop side by side.

— Dr. Liz Doe Stone, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026