actual
adjective[before noun]
uk/ˈæk.tʃu.əl/us/ˈæk.tʃu.əl/B2
existinginfact:
现实的，实际的；真实的，真正的We hadestimatedabout 300visitors, but the actualnumberwas muchhigher.我们估计大约会有300名来宾，可实到人数要多得多。
Theexamsare inJuly, but the actualresults(= theresultsthemselves)don'tappearuntilSeptember.考试是在7月份，但是真正成绩公布要等到9月份。
Synonym
real(NOT IMAGINARY)
existing in fact
- realHe doesn't think climate change is real.
- trueHe had finally found true love.
- actualWe had 500 people register for the conference, but we won't have the actual number of attendees until afterwards.
- factualThere's no factual information at all in that email.
in actual fact
B2
really:
实际上，事实上Ithoughtshe wasPortuguese, but in actualfactshe's Brazilian.我以为她是葡萄牙人，可实际上她是巴西人。
- I oftenprefertheadson TV to the actualprogrammes.
- Thedocumentarywas amisrepresentationof thetruthandborelittleresemblanceto actualevents.
- The actualsigningof thetreatywas adownbeataffairwithout anyceremony.
- Theirpredictionswerehopelesslyout oflinewith the actualresults.
- He said he went to Florida formedicaltreatment, but in actualfacthe wastryingtoescapefrom the Britishpolice.
True, real, false, and unreal
- actuality
- actually
- all that glitters is not goldidiom
- apocryphal
- as a matter of factphrase
- fake news
- false
- false flag
- falsely
- fantastical
- nothing could be further from the truthidiom
- nothing could have been further from my mind/thoughtsidiom
- parallel universe
- post-factual
- practically
- veridical
- verifiability
- verifiable
- verifiably
- verily
Grammar
Actualandactually
Actual is an adjective meaning ‘true’, ‘real’ and ‘the thing in itself’. It does not refer to time. Actual always comes immediately before the noun it is describing:…Actual
Actual is an adjective meaning ‘true’, ‘real’ and ‘the thing in itself’. It does not refer to time. Actual always comes immediately before the noun it is describing:…Actuallyas a discourse marker
Actually is often used in speaking as a discourse marker. We use it to indicate a new topic of conversation or a change or contrast in what is being talked about. We also use actually to give more detail about a topic. We do not use it to refer to time:…Actuallyas contrast
We can use actually to emphasise a contrast with what is expected to be true or real:…Actualandactually: typical errors
In some languages actual has the meaning of ‘current’ and ‘at the present time’. This is not correct in English:…Idiom
what the actual fuck?