actuality

noun

ac·​tu·​al·​i·​ty ˌak-chə-ˈwa-lə-tē 

ˌak-shə-

plural actualities

1

: the quality or state of being actual

2

: something that is actual : fact, reality

possible risks which have been seized upon as actualities

—T. S. Eliot

Phrases

in actuality

: in actual fact

Synonyms

• corporality
• corporeality
• existence
• reality
• subsistence
• thingness

Examples of actuality in a Sentence

The actuality was quite different from the theory.

the actuality of the Abominable Snowman is not taken seriously by scientists

Recent Examples on the Web

Thibodeau’s Bulls were in the Eastern Conference finals against the Miami Heat, and Javie and Thibodeau had an exchange that, to the naked eye, looked aggressive and blurring the line of what is acceptable … when, in actuality, that couldn’t be further from the truth. —James L. Edwards Iii, The Athletic, 24 Nov. 2024

In actuality, they are developed to benefit a select few. —Michelle Benegas, Twin Cities, 1 Nov. 2024

In actuality, however, the idea has a wide and deep intellectual history. —Alex Rivera, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2024

In actuality, the $750 payment is the initial form of support disaster survivors may receive, with additional types of assistance available thereafter. —Rebecca Beitsch, The Hill, 1 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English actualite "capacity for action, effective power," borrowed from Medieval Latin āctuālitāt-, āctuālitās, from Late Latin āctuālis actual + Latin -itāt-, -itās -ity

First Known Use

1587, in the meaning defined at sense 2