actual

== English == === Etymology === From Middle English actual, actuel (“active”), from Anglo-Norman actuel, actual, and its source Late Latin actuālis (“active, practical”), from Latin actus (“act, action, performance”), from agere (“to do; to act”) + -alis (“-al”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂éǵeti, from the root *h₂eǵ-. By surface analysis, act +‎ -u- +‎ -al. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈækʃuəl/, /ˈækʃəl/, /ˈæktʃuəl/, /ˈæktʃəl/ (dated, non-yod-coalescence, Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈæktjʊəl/, /ˈæktjəl/ (colloquial) IPA(key): /ˈæt͡ʃəl/ (Indic) IPA(key): /ˈaktʃʊwəl/ Rhymes: -æktʃuəl, -æktʃəl, -ækʃuəl, -ækʃəl === Adjective === actual (not comparable) (chiefly theology) relating to a person's acts or deeds; active, practical [from 14th c.] Existing in reality, not just potentially; really acted or acting; occurring in fact. [from 14th c.] Synonym: real Antonyms: potential, possible, virtual, speculative, conceivable, theoretical, nominal, hypothetical, estimated (now rare or non-native speakers' English) in action at the time being; now existing; current. [from 18th c.] Synonym: present Coordinate terms: future, past Used as intensifier to emphasise a following noun; exact, specific, very. [from 18th c.] ==== Usage notes ==== In most Romance, Slavic and Germanic languages the cognate of actual means “current”. This meaning has also been used in English since the sixteenth century but is now rare due to a semantic shift. The phrase in actual fact has been proscribed by some prescriptivist sources as redundant. ==== Synonyms ==== positive ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Related terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === Noun === actual (countable and uncountable, plural actuals) an actual, real one; notably: (finance) something actually received; real receipts, as distinct from estimated ones. (military) a radio callsign modifier that specifies the commanding officer of the unit or asset denoted by the remainder of the callsign and not the officer's assistant or other designee. (uncountable) Reality, usually with the definite article. === See also === certain genuine === References === === Further reading === “actual”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC. William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “actual”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC. === Anagrams === acault == Catalan == === Etymology === Borrowed from Latin actuālis. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): (Central, Balearic) [ək.tuˈal] IPA(key): (Valencia) [ak.tuˈal] Rhymes: -al Hyphenation: ac‧tu‧al === Adjective === actual m or f (masculine and feminine plural actuals) present, current factual ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Related terms ==== actualitat === Further reading === “actual”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007 “actual”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2026 “actual” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua. “actual” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962. == Galician == === Alternative forms === atual (reintegrationist) === Etymology === From Latin actuālis. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /aktuˈal/ [ɑk.t̪uˈɑɫ] Rhymes: -al Hyphenation: ac‧tu‧al === Adjective === actual m or f (plural actuais) current, present factual, real, actual ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Related terms ==== actualidade === Further reading === “actual”, in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega (in Galician), A Coruña: Royal Galician Academy, 2012–2026 == Interlingua == === Adjective === actual present, current factual (philosophy) actual, real ==== Related terms ==== == Middle English == === Alternative forms === actuale, actualle, actuelle === Etymology === Borrowed from Anglo-Norman actuel and Late Latin āctuālis; equivalent to act +‎ -al. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˌaktiu̯ˈɛːl/, /ˈaktiu̯ɛl/ (from Anglo-Norman actuel) IPA(key): /ˌaktiu̯ˈal/, /ˈaktiu̯al/ (from Late Latin āctuālis) === Adjective === actual actual, real, true (philosophy, theology) active ==== Derived terms ==== actually ==== Descendants ==== English: actual Middle Scots: actual, actuall Scots: actual, ackwal ==== References ==== “actūā̆l, -ē̆l, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007. == Occitan == === Alternative forms === actuau (Gascony) === Etymology === From Latin actuālis. === Pronunciation === === Adjective === actual m (feminine singular actuala, masculine plural actuals, feminine plural actualas) current ==== Derived terms ==== actualament ==== Related terms ==== actualitat == Portuguese == === Adjective === actual m or f (plural actuais) pre-reform spelling (used until 1943 in Brazil and 1990 in Portugal) of atual; still used where the agreement hasn’t come into effect and may occur as a sporadic misspelling === Further reading === “actual”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026 == Romanian == === Etymology === Borrowed from French actuel, from Latin actualis. By surface analysis, act +‎ -ual. === Adjective === actual m or n (feminine singular actuală, masculine plural actuali, feminine/neuter plural actuale) present-day ==== Declension ==== == Scots == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈak(t)wəl/ === Adjective === actual (comparative mair actual, superlative maist actual) actual === References === Eagle, Andy, ed. (2016) The Online Scots Dictionary, Scots Online. == Spanish == === Etymology === Borrowed from Latin actuālis. Cognate with English actual although a false friend. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /aɡˈtwal/ [aɣ̞ˈt̪wal] Rhymes: -al Syllabification: ac‧tual === Adjective === actual m or f (masculine and feminine plural actuales) present, current factual (philosophy) actual, real present-day ==== Usage notes ==== Actual is a false friend and does not mean the same as the English word actual. Spanish equivalents are shown above, in the "Translations" section of the English entry actual. ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Related terms ==== === Noun === actual m (plural actuales) (preceded by del) of the current month, year, etc. Synonyms: corriente, presente === See also === Appendix:False friends between English and Spanish === Further reading === “actual”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025 === Anagrams === culata