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

Baha Mar, the three-resort complex in Nassau, the Bahamas that opened in stages in 2017/2018 (beginning with the Grand Hyatt and now complete with Rosewood)makes repeat beach weekends actually easy to pull off which is the biggest draw. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 May 2026

But Steven Spielberg is actually a very sincere director. —Brent Lang, Variety, 19 May 2026

Much like with reality TV, the comedy would be grounded in capturing what was actually going on with AI in Hollywood, which meant a new round of research. —Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 19 May 2026

And perimenopausal women are actually at a higher risk of iron deficiency due to irregular or heavier cycles. —Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 19 May 2026

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

• dually
• contextually
• unusually

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