actual damages vs damages

actual damages and damages both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
actual damages	Yes	No	No	No
damages	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, damages is a hypernym of actual damages; that is, damages is a word with a broader meaning than actual damages:

actual damages: (law) compensation for losses that can readily be proven to have occurred and for which the injured party has the right to be compensated
damages: a sum of money paid in compensation for loss or injury

Other hypernyms of actual damages include amends, indemnification, indemnity, redress, restitution.

actual damages (noun)	damages (noun)
(law) compensation for losses that can readily be proven to have occurred and for which the injured party has the right to be compensated	a sum of money paid in compensation for loss or injury