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
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
Humans are actually a much bigger threat to sharks, killing up to 100 million sharks per year as a result of overfishing, according to the Shark Research Institute.
—
Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 8 June 2025
There are few enough endorsements of any kind that actually move votes.
—Eric Lach, New Yorker, 8 June 2025
Yet that doesn’t mean many homeless residents are actually ending up in court.
—Blake Nelson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 June 2025
Annual deficits and the overall debt actually climbed during the administrations of Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush, and during Trump’s first presidency, even after sweeping tax cuts.
—Bill Barrow, Chicago Tribune, 8 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for actually
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Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 8 June 2025
There are few enough endorsements of any kind that actually move votes.
—Eric Lach, New Yorker, 8 June 2025
Yet that doesn’t mean many homeless residents are actually ending up in court.
—Blake Nelson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 June 2025
Annual deficits and the overall debt actually climbed during the administrations of Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush, and during Trump’s first presidency, even after sweeping tax cuts.
—Bill Barrow, Chicago Tribune, 8 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for actually
Cite this Entry
“Actually.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/actually. Accessed 12 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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