actual

actual
    adj 1: presently existing in fact and not merely potential or
           possible; "the predicted temperature and the actual
           temperature were markedly different"; "actual and
           imagined conditions" [syn: {actual}, {existent}] [ant:
           {possible}, {potential}]
    2: taking place in reality; not pretended or imitated; "we saw
       the actual wedding on television"; "filmed the actual
       beating"
    3: being or reflecting the essential or genuine character of
       something; "her actual motive"; "a literal solitude like a
       desert"- G.K.Chesterton; "a genuine dilemma" [syn: {actual},
       {genuine}, {literal}, {real}]
    4: existing in act or fact; "rocks and trees...the actual
       world"; "actual heroism"; "the actual things that produced
       the emotion you experienced" [syn: {actual}, {factual}]
    5: being or existing at the present moment; "the ship's actual
       position is 22 miles due south of Key West"
    

Actual \Ac"tu*al\, n. (Finance)
   Something actually received; real, as distinct from
   estimated, receipts. [Cant]
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         The accounts of revenues supplied . . . were not real
         receipts: not, in financial language, "actuals," but
         only Egyptian budget estimates.          --Fortnightly
                                                  Review.
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Actual \Ac"tu*al\ (#; 135), a. [OE. actuel, F. actuel, L.
   actualis, fr. agere to do, act.]
   1. Involving or comprising action; active. [Obs.]
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            Her walking and other actual performances. --Shak.
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            Let your holy and pious intention be actual; that is
            . . . by a special prayer or action, . . . given to
            God.                                  --Jer. Taylor.
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   2. Existing in act or reality; really acted or acting; in
      fact; real; -- opposed to {potential}, {possible},
      {virtual}, {speculative}, {conceivable}, {theoretical}, or
      {nominal}; as, the actual cost of goods; the actual case
      under discussion.
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   3. In action at the time being; now exiting; present; as the
      actual situation of the country.
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   {Actual cautery}. See under {Cautery}.

   {Actual sin} (Theol.), that kind of sin which is done by
      ourselves in contradistinction to "original sin."
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   Syn: Real; genuine; positive; certain. See {Real}.
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ACTUAL. Real; actual.
     2. Actual notice. One which has been expressly given by which knowledge
of a fact has been brought home to a party directly ; it is opposed to
constructive notice.
     3. Actual admissions. Those which are expressly made; they are plenary
or partial. 4 Bouv. Inst. n. 4405.
     4. An actual escape takes place when a prisoner in fact gets out of
prison, and unlawfully regains his liberty. Vide Escape.
    

110 Moby Thesaurus words for "actual":
      absolute, admitting no question, as is, ascertained, attested,
      authentic, authenticated, being, bona fide, categorically true,
      certain, certified, commonplace, concrete, confirmable, confirmed,
      contemporaneous, contemporary, corroborated, current, de facto,
      demonstrable, demonstratable, demonstrated, determined,
      documentary, effectual, established, everyday, existent, existing,
      extant, factual, for real, fresh, genuine, hard, historical,
      honest-to-God, immanent, immediate, inappealable, incontestable,
      incontrovertible, indisputable, indubitable, instant, irrefragable,
      irrefutable, latest, legitimate, manifest, material, modern, new,
      not in error, objective, objectively true, ordinary, phenomenal,
      physical, positive, present, present-age, present-day,
      present-time, provable, proved, real, realistic, realized, routine,
      running, self-evident, solid, substantial, substantiated,
      sure-enough, tangible, testable, that be, that is, topical, true,
      true as gospel, true to life, truthful, unanswerable, unconfutable,
      unconfuted, undeniable, undenied, undoubted, unerroneous,
      unfallacious, unfalse, unimpeachable, unmistaken, unquestionable,
      unrefutable, unrefuted, up-to-date, up-to-the-minute, usual,
      validated, veracious, veridical, verifiable, verified, veritable