The meaning of ACTUAL is existing in fact or reality. How to use actual in a sentence.

Actual is an adjective meaning ‘true’, ‘real’ and ‘the thing in itself’. It does not refer to time. Actual always comes immediately before the noun it is describing: …

Definition of actual adjective in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

1. existing in act, fact, or reality; real: an actual case; the actual cost. 2. existing now; present; current: the ship's actual position.

actual is an adjective, actuality is a noun, actually is an adverb, actualize is a verb: The actual facts are these. In actuality, the quarter didn't disappear; it was in the magician's hand.

There are 13 meanings listed in OED's entry for the word actual, two of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

If you describe something as actual, it really exists or is true. You might excitedly tell your friends that you saw an actual bald eagle land on your mailbox.

You use actual to emphasize that you are referring to something real or genuine.

Apr 15, 2026 · actual (countable and uncountable, plural actuals) an actual, real one; notably: (finance) something actually received; real receipts, as distinct from estimated ones.

Actual refers to something existing in fact or reality, being real or true, not hypothetical or supposed. It deals with things as they are, rather than as they could be in theory or imagination. It's a state or …