Actuality
/æktʃuˈælɪti/
nounIntermediateCommonGeneral
Meaning
Questions
Definitions
1
The state or fact of being real; existence.
/æktʃuˈælɪti/
nounneutralIntermediate
General
The state of being actual or real.
The actuality of the situation hit him hard.
💡 Simply: The real thing; what really happened.
More Examples
2
Her paintings captured the actuality of rural life.
How It's Used
Philosophy
"He questioned the actuality of the experience."
Literature
"The novel explored the tension between fantasy and actuality."
From Middle French actualité, from Latin actualis, from actus ('action, deed')
The word's usage has remained relatively consistent throughout its history, primarily focusing on the state of being real.
Memory tip
Think 'actual' + 'ity' (state of being).
Practice
actualtyactuallity
Usage
20%Spoken
80%Written