actuales

Actuales is the plural form of the Spanish adjective actual, meaning current or present. It describes nouns to indicate temporality, such as in “problemas actuales” (current problems) or “hechos actuales” (current events). In Spanish, the masculine and feminine plural forms coincide as “actuales,” because adjectives ending in -e take the same plural ending for both genders.

Etymology traces actuales to the Latin word actualis, with the sense of what is present or existing. In Spanish, this term emphasizes the here and now rather than the ontological notion of truth implied by the English word real. The usage is common in journalism, economics, and everyday speech when distinguishing what is happening now from what has happened in the past or what is planned for the future.

In English-language contexts, actuals is a noun meaning actual figures or results, especially in budgeting, finance, and project management. It contrasts with forecasts or budgets, as in “actuals vs. forecast” or “actuals to date.” In English, actuals refers to realized numbers such as actual expenses, hours, or revenue, not to the present-tense meaning found in Spanish.

Usage notes: Although spelled similarly, actuales (Spanish) and actuals (English) belong to different linguistic systems. The former is an adjective indicating temporality, while the latter is a plural noun signifying realized data. Care should be taken when translating between languages to preserve the intended sense—current status in Spanish, versus realized figures in English. See also actual, actuality, current events, budgeting.