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Completely vs Actually - What's the difference?

completely | actually |

As adverbs the difference between completely and actually

is that completely is (manner) in a complete manner; fully; totally; utterly while actually is (modal) in act or in fact; really; in truth; positively.

completely

English

Adverb

(en adverb)
  • (manner) In a complete manner; fully; totally; utterly.
  • * 1851 , (Herman Melville), , Chapter 70,
    • It should not have been omitted that previous to completely stripping the body of the leviathan, he was beheaded.
  • * 1899 , (Kate Chopin), , Chapter XIX,
    • She completely abandoned her Tuesdays at home, and did not return the visits of those who had called upon her.
  • * 1969 , E.R. Zumwalt, Jr., ,
    • Lieutenant (junior grade) KERRY immediately maneuvered his craft through several strafing runs which completely silenced the enemy.
  • (degree) To the fullest extent or degree; totally.
  • *
    • , title=(The Celebrity), chapter=2 , passage=I had occasion […] to make a somewhat long business trip to Chicago, and on my return […] I found Farrar awaiting me in the railway station. He smiled his wonted fraction by way of greeting, […], and finally leading me to his buggy, turned and drove out of town. I was completely mystified at such an unusual proceeding.}}
  • * 1968 June 8, ,
    • Our future may lie beyond our vision, but it is not completely beyond our control.
  • * 1975 , (Helen Schucman), '', Lesson 75: ''The light has come ,
    • Keep a completely open mind, washed of all past ideas and clean of every concept you have made.

    Synonyms

    * See also

    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

    References

    English modal adverbs English words suffixed with -ly