What is actually?

  • (adv): At the present moment.
    Example: "The transmission screen shows the picture that is actually on the air"
    See also — Additional definitions below

More definitions of "actually":

  • (adv): As a sentence modifier to add slight emphasis.
    Example: "Actually, we all help clear up after a meal"; "actually, I haven't seen the film"; "I'm not all that surprised actually"; "she hasn't proved to be too satisfactory, actually"
  • (adv): Used to imply that one would expect the fact to be the opposite of that stated; surprisingly.
    Example: "You may actually be doing the right thing by walking out"; "she actually spoke Latin"
    Synonyms: in reality
  • (adv): In actual fact.
    Example: "To be nominally but not actually independent"; "no one actually saw the shark"; "large meteorites actually come from the asteroid belt"
    Synonyms: really