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
Feeling understood can actually buffer against conflict’s negative effects, reinforcing emotional security and connection.
—
Mark Travers, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025
Some oils do indeed make your hair look and feel greasy by just coating the hair shaft, but others like tsubaki seed oil, actually penetrate the cuticle and melt into the hair.
—Arden Fanning Andrews, Vogue, 4 Mar. 2025
People have caught onto the fact that rich people don’t like button down shirts and linen pants for the look, as much as for the quality, and that trying to look rich is actually very hard.
—Aamina Inayat Khan, StyleCaster, 4 Mar. 2025
The harder, more pressing matter has actually been trying to pay people.
—Belinda Luscombe, TIME, 4 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for actually
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Mark Travers, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025
Some oils do indeed make your hair look and feel greasy by just coating the hair shaft, but others like tsubaki seed oil, actually penetrate the cuticle and melt into the hair.
—Arden Fanning Andrews, Vogue, 4 Mar. 2025
People have caught onto the fact that rich people don’t like button down shirts and linen pants for the look, as much as for the quality, and that trying to look rich is actually very hard.
—Aamina Inayat Khan, StyleCaster, 4 Mar. 2025
The harder, more pressing matter has actually been trying to pay people.
—Belinda Luscombe, TIME, 4 Mar. 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 18 Mar. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share