actual (adj.)

early 14c., "pertaining to acts or an action;" late 14c. in the broader sense of "real, existing" (as opposed to potential, ideal, etc.); from Old French actuel "now existing, up to date" (13c.), from Late Latin actualis "active, pertaining to action," adjectival form of Latin actus "a doing" (from PIE root *ag- "to drive, draw out or forth, move").

also from early 14c.

Entries linking to actual

actualize (v.)

"to make actual," 1810, first attested in Coleridge, from actual + -ize. Related: Actualized; actualizing.

actually (adv.)

early 15c., "in fact, in reality" (as opposed to "in possibility"), from actual + -ly (2). The meaning "actively, vigorously" is from mid-15c.; 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, often used as an expression of mild wonder or surprise.

factual

*ag-

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Trends of actual

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potential

late 14c., "possible" (as opposed to actual), "capable of being or becoming," from Old French potenciel and directly from Medieval Latin potentialis "potential," from Latin potentia "power, might, force;" figuratively "political power, authority, influence," from potens "powerful

genuine

1590s, "natural, not acquired," from Latin genuinus "native, natural, innate," from root of gignere "to beget, produce" (from PIE root *gene- "give birth, beget"), perhaps influenced in form by contrasting adulterinus "spurious." [An alternative etymology is from Latin genu "knee

literal

late 14c., "taking words in their natural meaning" (originally in reference to Scripture and opposed to mystical or allegorical), from Late Latin literalis/litteralis "of or belonging to letters or writing," from Latin litera/littera "letter, alphabetic sign; literature, books" (

malice

Actual malice, express malice, malice in fact, malice in which the intention includes a contemplation of some injury to be...done.— Constructive malice, implied malice, imputed malice, malice in law, that which, irrespective of actual intent to...injure, is attributed by the law to an injurious act intentionally done, without proper motive, as distinguished from actual...Malice aforethought, or malice prepense, actual malice particularly in case of homicide. [Century Dictionary]...

practitioner

1540s, "one who acquires knowledge from actual practice;" a hybrid formed from practitian "practitioner" (c. 1500; see practician...Meaning "one engaged in the actual practice of an art or profession" is from 1550s....

pseudonym

Properly in reference to made-up names; the name of an actual author or person of reputation affixed to a work he or she...An author's actual name affixed to his or her own work is an autonym (1867). Related: Pseudonymity....

real

physical existence (not imaginary);" mid-15c., "relating to things" (especially property), from Old French reel "real, actual...," from Late Latin realis "actual," in Medieval Latin "belonging to the thing itself," from Latin res "property, goods, matter...noun phrase real time is from early 19c. in logic and philosophy, from 1953 as an adjectival phrase in reference to "the actual...Actual applies to that which is brought to be or to pass, as opposed to that which is possible, probable, conceivable, approximate...

earl

Old English eorl "brave man, warrior, leader, chief" (contrasted with ceorl "churl"), from Proto-Germanic *erlaz, which is of uncertain origin. In Anglo-Saxon poetry, "a warrior, a brave man;" in later Old English, "nobleman," especially a Danish under-king (equivalent of cognate

gun

mid-14c., gunne "an engine of war that throws rocks, arrows or other missiles from a tube by the force of explosive powder or other substance," apparently a shortening of woman's name Gunilda, found in Middle English gonnilde "cannon" and in an Anglo-Latin reference to a specific

avalanche

"fall or slide of a mass of snow on a mountain slope," 1763, from French avalanche (17c.), from Romansch (Swiss) avalantze "descent," altered (by metathesis of -l- and -v-, probably influenced by Old French avaler "to descend, go down," avalage "descent, waterfall, avalanche") fr

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updated on September 28, 2017

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Dictionary entries near actual

activities

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actor

actress

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actual

actualisation

actualise

actuality

actualization

actualize