Library / English Dictionary

ACTUALLY

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (adverb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Used to imply that one would expect the fact to be the opposite of that stated; surprisingly

Example:

people who seem stand-offish are in reality often simply nervous

Synonyms:

actually; in reality

Classified under:

Adverbs

Sense 2

Meaning:

In actual fact

Example:

large meteorites actually come from the asteroid belt

Synonyms:

actually; really

Classified under:

Adverbs

Pertainym:

actual (existing in act or fact)

Sense 3

Meaning:

As a sentence modifier to add slight emphasis

Example:

she hasn't proved to be too satisfactory, actually

Classified under:

Adverbs

Sense 4

Meaning:

At the present moment

Example:

the transmission screen shows the picture that is actually on the air

Classified under:

Adverbs

Credits

 Context examples: 

Only now are scientists realising that transposons are not junk at all but actually play an important role in the evolutionary process, and in altering gene expression and the physical characteristics of plants.

(Harnessing tomato jumping genes could help speed-breed drought-resistant crops, University of Cambridge)

Evidence suggests it actually takes about a 50% drop before the brain can no longer compensate and cognitive effects are seen.

(Pathogenic tau and cognitive impairment are precipitated by a high-salt diet, National Institutes of Health)

The beauty of the study really lies in the counterintuitive discovery that easy to make does not mean the material will be worse, but can actually be better.

(‘Messy’ production of perovskite material increases solar cell efficiency, University of Cambridge)

He actually opened a bank account, where, without a debt in the world, he had several hundred dollars to his credit.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

But these are actually red-leaf amaranths (Amaranthus spp.) or other plants such as Red Goosefoot (Blitum rubrum), not true spinach (Spinacia oleracea).

(World's First True Red Spinach Variety Released, U.S. Department of Agriculture)

"Do you know how cold it actually is?" the doctor demanded.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

His walk was actually tottery as he came down the port side of the cabin.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

There were a lot of those horrible, strong-smelling flowers about everywhere, and she had actually a bunch of them round her neck.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

Just think, said he, when I asked him how he was going to earn his bread, he actually wanted to learn to shudder.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

The rounded features captured by the telescope, of course, are not actually yellow, red, or green—they just appear that way in the infrared, color-assigned images that the telescope sends to Earth.

(Citizen Scientists Discover Yellow "Space Balls", NASA)