Actual
/ˈæktʃuəl/adjective
Existing in fact, not just in theory or imagination.
The actual cost of the car is much higher than the advertised price.
Often appears as...
- actual cost
- actual size
adjective
Used to emphasize the surprising truth of something.
I couldn't believe that I was talking to the actual president!
Often appears as...
- actual president
- actual event
Usage tips
Approving
Colloquial
adjective
Used to refer to what is really the situation rather than what is intended or expected.
The dress looks green in pictures, but the actual color is blue.
Often appears as...
- actual color
- actual situation
adjective
Preceding or existing at the present time.
The actual team is performing better than the previous one.
Often appears as...
- actual team
- actual officer
adjective
Existing in fact, not just in theory or imagination.
The actual cost of the car is much higher than the advertised price.
Often appears as...
- actual cost
- actual size
adjective
Used to emphasize the surprising truth of something.
I couldn't believe that I was talking to the actual president!
Often appears as...
- actual president
- actual event
Usage tips
Approving
Colloquial
adjective
Used to refer to what is really the situation rather than what is intended or expected.
The dress looks green in pictures, but the actual color is blue.
Often appears as...
- actual color
- actual situation
adjective
Preceding or existing at the present time.
The actual team is performing better than the previous one.
Often appears as...
- actual team
- actual officer
Definition 1 of 4
Pro Tip 1/3Unexpected Reality
Use 'actual' to discuss something that is surprisingly different from what was assumed.
The actual outcome was completely unexpected.
Pro Tip 2/3Reality Check
'Actual' often contrasts reality with a misconception or a hypothetical scenario.
She thought it would be easy, but the actual work was very tough.
Pro Tip 3/3Clarification
Use 'actual' to correct a false impression or to clarify a misunderstanding.
No, the actual distance is much longer than that.
Compare with
authenticcurrentexistfactumgenuinepresentrealtrue
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Video examples
Questions No One Knows...
if you imagine that huge numbers of parallel universes are being spawned every moment, and many of these universes would actually be very like the world we're in, would include multiple copies of you. In one such universe, you'd graduate with honors and marry the person of your dreams, and in another, not so much.
Video examples
Your body language may...
is, can power posing for a few minutes really change your life in meaningful ways? This is in the lab, it's this little task, it's just a couple of minutes. Where can you actually apply this? Which we cared about, of course. And so we think where you want to use this is evaluative situations,
Video examples
The benefits of a...
chances are you belong to the world's bilingual and multilingual majority. And besides having an easier time traveling or watching movies without subtitles, knowing two or more languages means that your brain may actually look and work differently than those of your monolingual friends.
Video examples
Surf Sisters - Ep. 2 PIPE...
So, today we are going to be going out in the water. Each participant will be teamed with a mentor. As you notice, some of these, or all of the boards actually don't have leashes. So our mentor is going to be the leash. We're here and we're kind of here to be brave and courageous
Video examples
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Comparing what they're experiencing to normal, temporary feelings of sadness can make them feel guilty for struggling. Even just talking about depression openly can help. For example, research shows that asking someone about suicidal thoughts actually reduces their suicide risk.
Video examples
Debunking the myths of...
may be examples of obsessive or compulsive tendencies that many of us exhibit from time to time. But the actual disorder is far more rare and can be quite debilitating. People affected have little or no control over their obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors,
Video examples
Rethinking infidelity...
can never provide? If even happy people cheat, what is it about? The vast majority of people that I actually work with are not at all chronic philanderers. They are often people who are deeply monogamous in their beliefs,
Video examples
The psychological weight...
to be an option so i enlisted the help of the people at canyon ranch in the medical department there who i knew were a little bit more ambitious and here's what we learned on a lesson on a journey that actually took us
Video examples
Orangutan understands 72...
You tell me what you want me to do with this first container, okay. Open, alright, good. That was actually a very good choice because there's a little something in there. For him, mistakes are actually quite rare.
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Roger Federer
Swiss Athlete
Sometimes I am a different character in different languages. I have different enjoyment from them. Sometimes different answers come out of me. Like, I didn't even know that about me. I get to know myself through different languages, actually.
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Rihanna
American Musician
When you realize who you live for, and who's important to please, a lot of people will actually start living. I am never going to get caught up in that. I'm gonna look back on my life and say that I enjoyed it - and I lived it for me.
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Christian Bale
Welsh Actor
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Maya Angelou
American Poet
If you want what you're saying heard, then take your time and say it so that the listener will actually hear it. You might save somebody's life. Your own, first.
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Ben Carson
American Scientist
The P.C. police are out in force at all times... We've reached a point where people are actually afraid to talk about what they want to say.
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Andy Warhol
American Artist
People sometimes say the way things happen in the movies is unreal, but actually, it's the way things happen to you in life that's unreal.
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Tony Robbins
American Speaker
You see, in life, lots of people know what to do, but few people actually do what they know. Knowing is not enough! You must take action.
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James Joyce
Irish Novelist
He found in the world without as actual what was in his world within as possible.
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Alan Rickman
British Actor
Actors are actually very supportive of each other.
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