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
Real is a synonym for actual in genuine topic. In some cases you can use "Real" instead the word "Actual" as an adjective or a noun or an adverb, when it comes to topics like property, physical, present, current. popular alternative
Real
Real adjective - Being exactly as appears or as claimed.
Usage example: this shirt is real silk, not polyester
Actual is a synonym for real in true topic. You can use "Actual" instead the word "Real" as an adjective or a noun or an adverb, if it concerns topics such as property, physical, present, current. popular alternative
Mutual synonyms
Both words in one sentence
- Mind over Matter: As it turns out, people could apply what they learned in Terra Online to real life, as Terra Online uses real physics and players' actual physical capabilities.
Source: Fan Fic / Off The Line - The one exception noted by Duncan, is the Haitian Revolution, where actual slaves and oppressed people revolt, against real and actual tyranny and are honest and free of exaggerations.
Source: Podcast / Revolutions -
In the episode where Sancho Panza who is made-to-believe that he's actually a governor of a small village, he proves to be far more competent than the real and actual governor of the village.
Source: Literature / Don Quixote
Cite this Source
Real and Actual. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 21, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/actual/real
Actual & Real. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/actual/real>.
Real or Actual. 2016. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/actual/real.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "actual" and "real" have occurred on timeline