Nearby Words

actually

[ak-choo-uh-lee] Example Sentences Origin

ac·tu·al·ly

[ak-choo-uh-lee]
adverb
as an actual or existing fact; really.

Origin:
1400–50; late Middle English; see actual, -ly
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Actually is always a great word to know.
So is flibbertigibbet. Does it mean:
a chattering or flighty, light-headed person.
a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare.
Example Sentences
  • The ocean is often thought of as quiet and idyllic, but its residents are actually a noisy bunch.
  • The rice that we eat is actually a grain that is found inside the seed hull.
  • Writing became part of my responsibilities, and I actually began to enjoy the process.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
actually (ˈæktʃʊəlɪ)
 
adv
1.  a.  as an actual fact; really
 b.  (as sentence modifier): actually, I haven't seen him
2.  at present
3.  informal a parenthetic filler used to add slight emphasis: I don't know, actually

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

actually
late 15c., "actively," from actual (q.v.). Meaning "in fact, as opposed to possibility" is from 1580s; that of "at this time, at present" is from 1660s. As an intensive added to a statement and suggesting "as a matter of fact, really, in truth" it is attested from 1762.
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"Mod. use of actuality in the sense of realism, contact with the contemporary, is due to Fr. actualité, from actuel, which does not mean actual, real, but now existing, up to date." [Weekley]
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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