actually
Americanadverb
adverb
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as an actual fact; really
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( as sentence modifier )
actually, I haven't seen him
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at present
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informal a parenthetic filler used to add slight emphasis
I don't know, actually
Usage
Spelling tips for actually The word actually is hard to spell because it uses a double l. How to spell actually: The word actually is often used for emphasis. Keep in mind that to really make your point, you need Lots of Ls (a double l).
Etymology
Origin of actually
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English; actual ( def. ), + -ly ( def. )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"If you cannot stockpile material that is enriched then there is no way you can actually create a bomb," Albusaidi told CBS's "Face the Nation."
From Barron's
"He's got a point, and actually, he ends up being right about quite a bit," said Tracy.
From Barron's
It's only the excited energy of Siân and James that makes me realise it is actually something else - the Milky Way.
From BBC
The study, published in Communications Earth and Environment, raises new questions about where iron in the Southern Ocean actually originates.
From Science Daily
Smoked salmon is high in protein, rich in fat, filling without being heavy — the kind of food that actually stabilizes you.
From Salon
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
