different between actual vs steady
actual
English
Etymology
From Middle English actual, actuel (“active”), from Anglo-Norman actuel, actual, and its source Late Latin actu?lis (“active, practical”), from Latin actus (“act, action, performance”), from agere (“to do; to act”) + -alis (“-al”).
Pronunciation
- (US) IPA(key): /?æk(t)?(?w)?l/
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /?ak(t)?j(?)?l/
- (dated, Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /?aktj(?)?l/
Adjective
actual (not comparable)
- (chiefly theology) relating to a person's acts or deeds; active, practical [from 14th c.]
- c. 1606, William Shakespeare, Macbeth, First Folio 1623, V.1:
- In this slumbry agitation, besides her walking, and other actuall performances, what (at any time) haue you heard her say?
- 1946, The American Ecclesiastical Review, vol. 114:
- Apparently, the holy Doctor was referring to actual, rather than original, sin; yet the basis of his argument for Mary's holiness, the divine maternity, would logically lead to the conclusion that she was free from original sin also.
- c. 1606, William Shakespeare, Macbeth, First Folio 1623, V.1:
- Existing in reality, not just potentially; really acted or acting; occurring in fact. [from 14th c.]
- Synonym: real
- Antonyms: potential, possible, virtual, speculative, conceivable, theoretical, nominal, hypothetical, estimated
- (now rare) in action at the time being; now existing; current. [from 16th c.]
- c. 1793, Edward Gibbon, Memoirs of My Life, Penguin 1990, p. 85:
- To my actual feelings it seems incredible that I could ever believe that I believed in Transubstantiation!
- c. 1793, Edward Gibbon, Memoirs of My Life, Penguin 1990, p. 85:
- Used as intensifier to emphasise a following noun; exact, specific, very. [from 18th c.]
- Synonym: present
- Antonyms: future, past
Usage notes
- In most Romance, Slavic and Germanic languages the cognate of actual means “current”. This meaning has also been used in English since the sixteenth century but is now rare due to a semantic shift.
- The phrase in actual fact has been proscribed by some prescriptivist sources as redundant.
Synonyms
- positive
Derived terms
Related terms
Translations
Noun
actual (plural actuals)
- an actual, real one; notably:
- (finance) something actually received; real receipts, as distinct from estimated ones.
- (military) a radio callsign modifier that specifies the commanding officer of the unit or asset denoted by the remainder of the callsign and not the officer's assistant or other designee.
- Bravo Six Actual, this is Charlie One. Come in, over. (The radio operator is requesting to speak to the commander of the unit under the call sign "Bravo Six.")
See also
- certain
- genuine
References
Further reading
- actual in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
- actual in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
Anagrams
- acault
Catalan
Etymology
From Latin actu?lis.
Pronunciation
- (Balearic, Central) IPA(key): /?k.tu?al/
- (Valencian) IPA(key): /ak.tu?al/
Adjective
actual (masculine and feminine plural actuals)
- present, current
- factual
Derived terms
Related terms
- actualitat
Further reading
- “actual” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
- “actual” in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana.
- “actual” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
- “actual” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.
Galician
Etymology
From Latin actu?lis.
Adverb
actual m or f (plural actuais)
- current, present
- factual, real, actual
Derived terms
Related terms
- actualidade
Further reading
- “actual” in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega, Royal Galician Academy.
Interlingua
Adjective
actual
- present, current
- factual
- (philosophy) actual, real
Related terms
Middle English
Etymology
Borrowed from Anglo-Norman actuel and Late Latin ?ctu?lis; equivalent to act +? -al.
Alternative forms
- actuale, actualle, actuelle
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /aktiu??a?l/, /?aktiu?al/, /aktiu????l/, /?aktiu??l/
Adjective
actual
- actual, real, true
- (philosophy, theology) active
Derived terms
- actualy
Descendants
- English: actual
- Scots: actual
References
- “act???l, -??l, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
Occitan
Alternative forms
- actuau (Gascon)
Etymology
From Latin actu?lis.
Pronunciation
Adjective
actual m (feminine singular actuala, masculine plural actuals, feminine plural actualas)
- current
Derived terms
- actualament
Related terms
- actualitat
Portuguese
Adjective
actual m or f (plural actuais, comparable)
- Superseded spelling of atual.
Romanian
Etymology
From French actuel, from Latin actualis.
Adjective
actual m or n (feminine singular actual?, masculine plural actuali, feminine and neuter plural actuale)
- present-day
Declension
Scots
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /?ak(t)w?l/
Adjective
actual (comparative mair actual, superlative maist actual)
- actual
References
- Eagle, Andy, ed. (2016) The Online Scots Dictionary, Scots Online.
Spanish
Etymology
From Latin actu?lis. Cognate with English actual although a false friend.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /a??twal/, [a???t?wal]
- Rhymes: -al
Adjective
actual (plural actuales)
- present, current
- factual
- (philosophy) actual, real
- present-day
Usage notes
- Actual is a false friend, and does not mean the same as the English word actual. Spanish equivalents are shown above, in the "Translations" section of the English entry actual.
Derived terms
Related terms
- actualidad
Prepositional phrase
actual m (plural actuales)
- (preceded by del) Of the current month, year, etc.
- Synonyms: corriente, presente
See also
- Appendix:False friends between English and Spanish
Further reading
- “actual” in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014.
Anagrams
- culata
actual From the web:
- what actually killed earnhardt
- what actually happened on thanksgiving
- what actually killed lincoln
- what actually happens when you die
- what actually killed amy winehouse
- what actually brought about the rebellion
- what actually happens when you stretch
- what actual angels look like
steady
English
Alternative forms
- steddy, stedy
Etymology
From Middle English stede, stedi, stidi?, from Old English stæþþi?, from stæþ (“stead, bank”); equivalent to stathe +? -y or stead +? -y. Cognate with West Frisian stadich (“slow”), Danish stedig, stadig, steeg, Swedish stadig, Icelandic stöðugur, Middle Dutch stedigh, German stätig, stetig.
Pronunciation
- enPR: st?d?i, IPA(key): /?st?di/
Adjective
steady (comparative steadier, superlative steadiest)
- Firm in standing or position; not tottering or shaking; fixed; firm.
- Their feet steady, their hands diligent, their eyes watchful, and their hearts resolute.
- Captain Edward Carlisle, soldier as he was, martinet as he was, felt a curious sensation of helplessness seize upon him as he met her steady gaze, her alluring smile?; he could not tell what this prisoner might do.
- Constant in feeling, purpose, or pursuit; not fickle, changeable, or wavering; not easily moved or persuaded to alter a purpose; resolute.
- 2003, Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices: Inserts Only (page 10)
- During programmed changes, no steady green signal indication or flashing yellow signal indication shall be terminated and immediately followed by a steady red or flashing red signal indication without first displaying the steady yellow signal […]
- 2003, Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices: Inserts Only (page 10)
- Smooth and not bumpy or with obstructions.
- Regular and even.
- Slow.
Synonyms
- (firm): robust, solid, untottering
- (constant in purpose or action): dogged, staunch, unyielding; see also Thesaurus:obstinate
- (smooth, not bumpy): fluid
- (regular and even): constant, uniform, unvarying; see also Thesaurus:steady
- (slow): glacial, ponderous, stately; see also Thesaurus:slow
Antonyms
- (regular and even): unsteady; see also Thesaurus:unsteady
Derived terms
Translations
Verb
steady (third-person singular simple present steadies, present participle steadying, simple past and past participle steadied)
- (transitive, sometimes figuratively) To stabilize; to prevent from shaking.
- I took a drink to steady my nerves.
- (intransitive) To become stable.
- 2010, Scott Westerfeld, Leviathan
- The ship steadied in the air. Another spray of ballast came, heavier than the last.
- 2010, Scott Westerfeld, Leviathan
Translations
Noun
steady (plural steadies)
- A rest or support, as for the hand, a tool, or a piece of work.
- (informal) A regular boyfriend or girlfriend.
- 2002, Frederick E. Von Burg, Keep My White Sneakers, Kit Carson, iUniverse (?ISBN), page 13:
- “Dalton is my steady, now. If I break up with him, you're the first on the list.” “Thanks,” said Ted. “What a privilege to be second choice.”
- 2002, Frederick E. Von Burg, Keep My White Sneakers, Kit Carson, iUniverse (?ISBN), page 13:
- (informal) A prostitute's regular customer.
Adverb
steady (not comparable)
- (rowing, informal) To row with pressure at a low stroke-rating, often 18 strokes per minute.
Further reading
- steady in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
- steady in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
- steady at OneLook Dictionary Search
Anagrams
- stayed
steady From the web:
- what steady mean
- what steady state
- what steady state meaning
- what's steady state cardio
- what steady state theory
- what's steady pay
- what steady beat
- what steady flow means
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