Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

irreal

American  
[ih-ree-uhl, ih-reel] / ɪˈri əl, ɪˈril /

adjective

  1. unreal.

Other Word Forms

  • irreality noun

Etymology

Origin of irreal

First recorded in 1940–45; ir- 2 + real 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Like them, Folon took a strong turn for the fantastic, serving up the quotidian in images dreamy or irreal.

From Time Magazine Archive

The small landholdings of Hans at Moehra are not real, but irreal estate.

From Luther Examined and Reexamined A Review of Catholic Criticism and a Plea for Revaluation by Dau, W. H. T. (William Herman Theodore)

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.