What is the meaning of actually?

adverb

  • In actual fact.
    • usage: "to be nominally but not actually independent"; "no one actually saw the shark"; "large meteorites actually come from the asteroid belt"
  • Used to imply that one would expect the fact to be the opposite of that stated; surprisingly.
    • usage: "you may actually be doing the right thing by walking out"; "she actually spoke Latin"; "they thought they made the rules but in reality they were only puppets"; "people who seem stand-offish are in reality often simply nervous"
  • At the present moment.
    • usage: "the transmission screen shows the picture that is actually on the air"
  • As a sentence modifier to add slight emphasis.
    • usage: "actually, we all help clear up after a meal"; "actually, I haven't seen the film"; "I'm not all that surprised actually"; "she hasn't proved to be too satisfactory, actually"
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APAWordNet. (2010). Actually. Retrieved September 28, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/actually/definitions/1250505
ChicagoWordNet. 2010. "Actually" http://smartdefine.org/actually/definitions/1250505 (accessed September 28, 2026).
HarvardWordNet 2010, Actually, Smart Define, viewed 28 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/actually/definitions/1250505>.
MLAWordNet. "Actually" 23 October 2010. Web. 28 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/actually/definitions/1250505>
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