Thesaurus

actual

adjective

Save Word

Synonyms & Antonyms of actual

existing in fact and not merely as a possibility

the actual outcome of the election was quite different from what everybody had expected

Synonyms for actual

concrete,
de facto,
effective,
existent,
factual,
genuine,
real,
sure-enough,
true,
very

Words Related to actual

attested,
authenticated,
confirmed,
demonstrated,
established,
proven,
substantiated,
valid,
validated,
verified

incontestable,
incontrovertible,
indisputable,
indubitable,
inescapable,
irrefutable,
undeniable,
unquestionable

believable,
convincing,
literal,
realistic,
unmistakable,
verifiable

authentic,
bona fide,
real-life,
real-world

absolute,
certain,
final,
hard,
objective,
palpable,
positive,
substantial,
tangible

authoritative,
certifiable,
certified

Near Antonyms for actual

alleged,
assumed,
reputed,
supposed

conceived,
envisaged,
envisioned,
imagined,
pictured,
visualized

chimerical
(also chimeric),
fabled,
fanciful,
fictional,
fictitious,
illusory,
legendary

fabricated,
fake,
imaginary,
invented,
made-up,
make-believe,
pretend,
romantic

abstract,
symbolic,
unreal

virtual

Antonyms for actual

conjectural,
hypothetical,
ideal,
inexistent,
nonexistent,
platonic,
possible,
potential,
suppositional,
theoretical
(also theoretic)

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More About actual

Thesaurus Entries Near actual

Cite this Entry

“Actual.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/actual. Accessed 23 Jun. 2021.

Style: MLA

MLA

Chicago

APA

Merriam-Webster Check Mark Icon

WORD OF THE DAY

emeritus

See Definitions and Examples »

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Test Your Vocabulary

Return of Name that Color!

Name that color:

wisteria orange
aqua chartreuse

Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!

TAKE THE QUIZ

Anagram puzzles meet word search.

TAKE THE QUIZ

7 Words That Have Seen Better Days
They've taken a hit but are still standing.
Every Which 'Way'
How 'way' became 'road'
The Difference between 'Race' and 'Ethnicity'
How they differ and overlap
The Words of the Week - 6/18/21
Words from the week of 6/18/2021

What Is 'Semantic Bleaching'?
How 'literally' can mean "figuratively"
Why is there a 'd' in 'fridge' but not in 'refrigerator'?
Thawing one of the mysteries of English
Literally
How to use a word that (literally) drives some pe...
Is Singular 'They' a Better Choice?
The awkward case of 'his or her'

Return of Name that Color!
Additional colors! More obscure than before!
Take the quiz
Name that Thing: Dog Breeds
Can you correctly identify these breeds?
Take the quiz
Name That Thing
Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question ...
Take the quiz
SCRABBLE® Sprint
SCRABBLE® fans, sharpen your skills!
Play the game

Thesaurus

actual

Synonyms & Antonyms of actual

Learn More About actual