Accurately vs Actually - What's the difference?
accurately | actually |
As adverbs the difference between accurately and actually is that accurately is in an accurate manner; exactly; precisely; without error or defect while actually is (modal) in act or in fact; really; in truth; positively.
accurately English
Adverb
( en adverb)
In an accurate manner; exactly; precisely; without error or defect.
Related terms
* accuracy
Synonyms
* carefully
* precisely
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actually English
Adverb
( -)
(modal) In act or in fact; really; in truth; positively.
- Actually , I had nothing to do with that incident.
(obsolete) actively
- Neither actually nor passively. — Fuller.
Alternative forms
* actially (nonstandard)
Usage notes
* In some other languages a word of similar spelling means "now" or "currently"; (e.g., Portuguese "atualmente", Spanish "actualmente", French "actuellement", German "aktuell", Italian "attualmente", Czech ""). This leads many non-native speakers of English to use "actually" when they mean "now" or "currently".
* Some commentators have:
* remarked upon the irony that this qualifier of veracity often introduces an utter lie;[, page 3] and,
* noted that in many cases, (term) functions as little more than a vacuous emphatic utterance.[ibidem , page 4]
* In practice, actually and its synonyms are often used to insinuate that the following is either unusual or contrary to a norm or preceding assumption, or to merely preface an overconfident opinion contrasting a previous statement or norm (as per 'vacuous emphasis' note above).
: This is actually a really beautiful song. (contrasting opinion)
: Actually , I'm not from France - I'm from Switzerland. (contrary from assumption)
: At the check-out, the cashier actually greeted me for once. (contrary from norm)
Synonyms
* in reality
* literally
* really
* truthfully
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