actual

Everyday

1. Actual means real or true, not just guessed, imagined or planned. tree →
2. Actual is used to stress the exact thing itself, as in «the actual answer». tree →

In the lessons

In maths and science it separates a real measurement from an estimate: «estimated length» vs «actual length»; you can find the difference between them. In stories it shows what really happened. Phrases: «the actual cost», «in actual fact», «actual size».

Examples

• I guessed 50 sweets, but the actual number was 62. tree →
• The picture shows the beetle at actual size. tree →
• What is the difference between the estimate and the actual answer? tree →
• The actual party starts at six, not five. tree →
• In actual fact, the moon has no light of its own. tree →
• The plan said ten minutes, but the actual trip took twenty. tree →
• But in the actual Russia of to-day, snakes bear by no means so bad a character. tree →

Note

False friend: in many languages a word like «actual» means «current» or «up to date»; in English actual means real. «Actually» often means «in fact» or corrects someone: «Actually, it's Tuesday.» Maths: error = actual − estimate (or the other way round, say which).