daadwerkelijke

Daadwerkelijke is a Dutch adjective meaning “actual” or “real,” used to describe things that exist in fact rather than in theory or intention. It is commonly employed in formal writing—such as law, policy, and economics—to distinguish results, costs, or facts that have materialized from those that were planned or assumed. In everyday speech, alternatives like werkelijk or feitelijk are more common, but daadwerkelijke remains frequent in precise or official contexts.

Etymology: Daadwerkelijke originates from daad (deed) and werkelijk (real). The compound conveys that something is proven by actual deeds or events rather than by promises. The form daadwerkelijke is the attributive inflected form used before nouns in the definite construction (for example, de daadwerkelijke kosten).

Usage: Typical collocations include kosten (costs), resultaten (results), feiten (facts), and gevolgen (consequences): daadwerkelijke kosten, daadwerkelijke resultaten, daadwerkelijke feiten. It helps convey a clear boundary between what is anticipated and what has occurred, and is therefore common in audit reports, financial statements, and monitoring evaluations.

See also: Related terms include feitelijk, werkelijk, and daadwerkelijk. While all convey notions of reality, daadwerkelijke emphasizes results or events that have been realized, often in a formal or quantitative sense.