actuality
noun
Simple meaning
The state of existing.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
akchooaluhteeSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
æktʃuˈæləti
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
The state of actually existing objectively
“A hope that progressed from possibility to actuality.”
An instance or quality of being actual or factual; fact.
The state of existing; existence.
television
Live reporting on current affairs.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- C2 · Proficient (estimated)
- Frequency
- Uncommon
- Formality
- Technical
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: The state of actually existing objectively
This 'actuality' refers to the state of existing as a reality, rather than just as a possibility or concept. It's often used when contrasting potential with what truly is. For example, 'potentiality vs. actuality.'
“A hope that progressed from possibility to actuality.”
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Where you'll really hear it
Philosophical text
“The idea moves from mere potentiality to concrete actuality.”
Literary criticism
“The story brings abstract fears into sharp, vivid actuality.”
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use actuality
- “A hope that progressed from possibility to actuality.”noun
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
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Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.