ac·tu·al·i·ty 
/ˌæktʃəˈwæləti/ noun
plural ac·tu·al·i·ties /ˌæktʃəˈwæləti/ noun 1 [noncount] : the quality or state of being actual or real
▪ It was hard to accept the actuality [=reality] of the disease. 2 [count] : something that is actual or real
▪ the actualities [=realities] of war ▪ The actuality was quite different from the theory.
▪ It was hard to accept the actuality [=reality] of the disease.
▪ the actualities [=realities] of war ▪ The actuality was quite different from the theory.
in actuality
: in truth — used to stress that something is true when it is different from what was believed or expected ▪ He gave me what turned out to be, in actuality [=in reality, in fact], only a copy of the original. ▪ I thought they just arrived, but in actuality they'd been here for an hour.
