discovered or determined by scientific observation; "variation in the ascertained flux depends on a number of factors"; "the discovered behavior norms"; "discovered differences in achievement"; "no explanation for the observed phenomena"
having once lived or existed or taken place in the real world as distinct from being legendary; "the historical Jesus"; "doubt that a historical Camelot every existed"; "actual historical events"
of or relating to the study of history; "historical scholars"; "a historical perspective"
(used informally especially for emphasis); "a real honest-to-god live cowboy"; "had us a high old time"; "went upriver to look at a sure-enough fish wheel"
upright in position or posture; "an erect stature"; "erect flower stalks"; "for a dog, an erect tail indicates aggression"; "a column still vertical amid the ruins"; "he sat bolt upright"
presently existing in fact and not merely potential or possible; "the predicted temperature and the actual temperature were markedly different"; "actual and imagined conditions"
being or existing at the present moment; "the ship's actual position is 22 miles due south of Key West"
taking place in reality; not pretended or imitated; "we saw the actual wedding on television"; "filmed the actual beating"
existing in act or fact; "rocks and trees...the actual world"; "actual heroism"; "the actual things that produced the emotion you experienced"
being or reflecting the essential or genuine character of something; "her actual motive"; "a literal solitude like a desert"- G.K.Chesterton; "a genuine dilemma"
conforming to conventions of sexual behavior; "speech in this circle, if not always decent, never became lewd"- George Santayana
observing conventional sexual mores in speech or behavior or dress; "a modest neckline in her dress"; "though one of her shoulder straps had slipped down, she was perfectly decent by current standards"
decently clothed; "are you decent?"
socially or conventionally correct; refined or virtuous; "from a decent family"; "a nice girl"
the significance of a story or event; "the moral of the story is to love thy neighbor"
concerned with principles of right and wrong or conforming to standards of behavior and character based on those principles; "moral sense"; "a moral scrutiny"; "a moral lesson"; "a moral quandary"; "moral convictions"; "a moral life"
psychological rather than physical or tangible in effect; "a moral victory"; "moral support"
arising from the sense of right and wrong; "a moral obligation"
relating to principles of right and wrong; i.e. to morals or ethics; "moral philosophy"
financially sound; "a good investment"; "a secure investment"
consistent in performance or behavior; "dependable in one's habits"; "a steady-going family man"
worthy of being depended on; "a dependable worker"; "an honest working stiff"; "a reliable source of information"; "he was true to his word"; "I would be true for there are those who trust me"
endorsed authoritatively as having met certain requirements; "a certified public accountant"
holding appropriate documentation and officially on record as qualified to perform a specified function or practice a specified skill; "a registered pharmacist"; "a registered hospital"
having quality or payment or delivery guaranteed; "certified milk"; "certified check"; "certified mail"
serving to distinguish or identify a species or group; "the distinguishing mark of the species is its plumage"; "distinctive tribal tattoos"; "we were asked to describe any identifying marks or distinguishing features"