ac ‧ tu ‧ al S1 W2 /ˈæktʃuəl/ BrE AmE adjective [only before noun]
[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: actuel , from Late Latin actualis , from Latin actus ; ⇨ ↑ ACT 1 ]
1 . used to emphasize that something is real or exact:
I’m not joking. Those were his actual words.
I know Germany won, but I can’t tell you the actual score.
Interest is only charged on the actual amount borrowed.
In actual fact (=really) , there is little evidence to support the allegations.
► Do not use actual to mean ‘at the present time’. Use current or present : the current (NOT actual) economic policy
2 . the actual something used to introduce the most important part of an event or activity:
The programme starts at 8.00 but the actual film doesn’t start until 8.30.