actual

UK:**UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈæktʃuəl/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/ˈæktʃuəl/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(akcho̅o̅ əl)

WordReference Collins English Usage © 2026
actual
‘actual’
You use actual to emphasize that the place, object, or person you are talking about is the real or genuine one.
The predicted results and the actual results are very different.
The interpretation bore no relation to the actual words spoken.
Be careful
You only use actual in front of a noun. You do not say that something ‘is actual’.
‘current’ and ‘present’
You do not use ‘actual’ to describe something that is happening, being done, or being used at the present time. Instead you use current or present.
The store needs more than $100,000 to survive the current crisis.
Is the present situation really any different from many others in the past?
'actual' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):

🗣️Forum discussions with the word(s) "actual" in the title:

  • Go to Preferences page and choose from different actions for taps or mouse clicks.

In other languages: Spanish | French | Italian | Portuguese | Romanian | German | Dutch | Swedish | Russian | Polish | Czech | Greek | Turkish | Chinese | Japanese | Korean | Arabic

Advertisements
Advertisements
Report an inappropriate ad.
WordReference.com
WORD OF THE DAY
GET THE DAILY EMAIL!