real

[ ree-uh l, reel ]

/ ˈri əl, ril /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR real ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

true; not merely ostensible, nominal, or apparent: the real reason for an act.

existing or occurring as fact; actual rather than imaginary, ideal, or fictitious: a story taken from real life.

being an actual thing; having objective existence; not imaginary: The events you will see in the film are real and not just made up.

being actually such; not merely so-called: a real victory.

genuine; not counterfeit, artificial, or imitation; authentic: a real antique; a real diamond; real silk.

unfeigned or sincere: real sympathy; a real friend.

Informal. absolute; complete; utter: She's a real brain.

Philosophy.

existent or pertaining to the existent as opposed to the nonexistent.
actual as opposed to possible or potential.
independent of experience as opposed to phenomenal or apparent.

(of money, income, or the like) measured in purchasing power rather than in nominal value: Inflation has driven income down in real terms, though nominal income appears to be higher.

Optics. (of an image) formed by the actual convergence of rays, as the image produced in a camera (opposed to virtual).

Mathematics.

of, relating to, or having the value of a real number.
using real numbers: real analysis; real vector space.

adverb

Informal. very or extremely: You did a real nice job painting the house.

noun

real number.

the real,

something that actually exists, as a particular quantity.
reality in general.

Nearby words

reagan, ronald wilson, reaganomics, reagent, reagin, reaginic antibody, real, real ale, real axis, real cost, real estate, real income

Idioms

for real, Informal.

in reality; actually: You mean she dyed her hair green for real?
real; actual: The company's plans to relocate are for real.
genuine; sincere: I don't believe his friendly attitude is for real.

Origin of real

1400–50; late Middle English < Late Latin reālis, equivalent to Latin re-, variant stem of rēs thing + -ālis -al¹

Related forms

re·al·ness, noun

Synonym study

1–5. Real, actual, true in general use describe objects, persons, experiences, etc., that are what they are said or purport to be. That which is described as real is genuine as opposed to counterfeit, false, or merely supposed: a real emerald; real leather binding; My real ambition is to be a dentist. Actual usually stresses contrast with another state of affairs that has been proposed or suggested: The actual cost is much less; to conceal one's actual motive. True implies a perfect correspondence with actuality and is in direct contrast to that which is false or inaccurate: a true account of the events; not bravado but true courage. See also authentic.

Usage note

The intensifying adverb real, meaning “very,” is informal and limited to speech or to written representations of speech: He drives a real beat-up old car. The adjective real meaning “true, actual, genuine, etc.,” is standard in all types of speech and writing: Their real reasons for objecting became clear in the discussion. The informal adjective sense “absolute, complete” is also limited to speech or representations of speech: These interruptions are a real bother.

Definition for real (2 of 4)

real

[ rey-ahl; Spanish re-ahl ]

/ reɪˈɑl; Spanish rɛˈɑl /

noun, plural re·als [rey-ahlz] /reɪˈɑlz/, Spanish re·a·les [re-ah-les] /rɛˈɑ lɛs/.

a former silver coin of Spain and Spanish America, the eighth part of a peso.

Origin of real

1605–15; < Spanish: royal < Latin rēgālis regal¹

Definition for real (3 of 4)

real

[ rey-ahl; Portuguese re-ahl ]

/ reɪˈɑl; Portuguese rɛˈɑl /

noun

singular of reis.

Definition for real (4 of 4)

reis

[ reys; Portuguese reys ]

/ reɪs; Portuguese reɪs /

plural noun, singular re·al [rey-ahl; Portuguese re-ahl] /reɪˈɑl; Portuguese rɛˈɑl/.

a former money of account of Portugal and Brazil.

Compare milreis.

Origin of reis

1545–55; < Portuguese, plural of real real²

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for real

We haven't had any real fan reaction yet, but our collective fingers are crossed.
‘Archer’ Creator Adam Reed Spills Season 6 Secrets, From Surreal Plotlines to Life Post-ISIS|Marlow Stern|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
They say it's frightening how the real CIA is perceived to be as clueless as Archer Co.
‘Archer’ Creator Adam Reed Spills Season 6 Secrets, From Surreal Plotlines to Life Post-ISIS|Marlow Stern|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
But if you listen to our leaders, they weren't the real targets here.
Politicians Only Love Journalists When They're Dead|Luke O’Neil|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
“This is a federal mandate that is causing some real problems for schools across the country,” Kline told a CBS affiliate in July.
The Republican War on Kale|Patricia Murphy|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST

I could complain about how, two out of eight episodes in, Agent Carter is in no hurry to introduce its real villain.
Marvel’s ‘Agent Carter’ Stomps on the Patriarchy|Melissa Leon|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
A real ghost could have done that, I suppose, but so could any person in reasonable physical shape who knew the terrain.
The Blue Ghost Mystery|Harold Leland Goodwin
It was so exactly like the real thing, she whispered to grandmother wiping her eyes.
Letty and the Twins|Helen Sherman Griffith
But its real mother could not accept this decision, and offered rather to give up her child.
History of the Jews, Vol. I (of 6)|Heinrich Graetz
I will not say what chapter he found, for, after all, I doubt if we had any real notion of what it meant.
Wilfrid Cumbermede|George MacDonald
But the individual Englishman that they know, they take at his real value.
Life of Frederick Courtenay Selous, D.S.O.|J.G. Millais

British Dictionary definitions for real (1 of 3)

real

/ (ˈrɪəl) /

adjective

existing or occurring in the physical world; not imaginary, fictitious, or theoretical; actual

(prenominal) true; actual; not falsethe real reason

(prenominal) deserving the name; rightly so calleda real friend; a real woman

not artificial or simulated; genuinereal sympathy; real fur

(of food, etc) traditionally made and having a distinct flavourreal ale; real cheese

philosophy existent or relating to actual existence (as opposed to nonexistent, potential, contingent, or apparent)

(prenominal) economics (of prices, incomes, wages, etc) considered in terms of purchasing power rather than nominal currency value

(prenominal) denoting or relating to immovable property such as land and tenementsreal property Compare personal

physics Compare image (def. 2)

maths involving or containing real numbers alone; having no imaginary part

music

(of the answer in a fugue) preserving the intervals as they appear in the subject
denoting a fugue as having such an answerCompare tonal (def. 3)

informal (intensifier)a real fool; a real genius

the real thing the genuine article, not an inferior or mistaken substitute

noun

short for real number

the real that which exists in fact; reality

for real slang not as a test or trial; in earnest

Derived Forms

realness, noun

Word Origin for real

C15: from Old French réel, from Late Latin reālis, from Latin rēs thing

British Dictionary definitions for real (2 of 3)

real

/ (reɪˈɑːl, Spanish reˈal) /

noun plural reals or reales (Spanish reˈales)

a former small Spanish or Spanish-American silver coin

Word Origin for real

C17: from Spanish, literally: royal, from Latin rēgālis; see regal 1

British Dictionary definitions for real (3 of 3)

real

/ (Portuguese reˈal) /

noun plural reis (rəjʃ)

the standard monetary unit of Brazil, divided into 100 centavos

a former coin of Portugal

Word Origin for real

ultimately from Latin rēgālis regal 1

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Idioms and Phrases with real

real

In addition to the idiom beginning with real

real McCoy, the

also see:

for real
get real