Actual
Actual adjective - Existing in fact and not merely as a possibility.
Usage example: the actual outcome of the election was quite different from what everybody had expected
Possible
Possible adjective - Existing only as a possibility and not in fact.
Usage example: only one of several possible outcomes
Nearby Words: possibility, possibly
Both words in one sentence
- A detective (rarely a great one, though), angered by a possible or actual perp being smug, lunges for them and has to be restrained by fellow officers.
Source: Let Me at Him! -
The mandatory gay lead character is replaced by a gay secondary character and a lot of possible or actual bisexuality among other characters; the mandatory band membership comes up late in the day, but becomes quite important then.
Source: Webcomic / Ménage à 3 -
It is possible to play an actual pacifist in the first two games of Fallout by maxing out all of your social traits.
Source: Actual Pacifist
Cite this Source
Possible and Actual. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 21, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/actual/possible
Actual & Possible. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/actual/possible>.
Possible or Actual. 2016. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/actual/possible.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "actual" and "possible" have occurred on timeline