real part

American  

[ree-uhl, reel] / ˈri əl, ril /

noun

Mathematics.

1. the number a in the complex number a + bi.

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real part British  

noun

1. the term a in a complex number a + i b , where i = √–1

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Etymology

Origin of real part

First recorded in 1960–65

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

real part

This is a very real part of life for students at historically black colleges and universities, but that doesn’t make it any less frightening.

From Salon ● Sep. 24, 2026

In the mathematical description of a quantum state, the real part represents the amplitude, while the imaginary part represents the phase.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 13, 2026

While animal sacrifice is a real part of some ceremonies, the media’s obsession with this particular practice has created a distorted picture that reduces an entire spiritual system to a single, sensationalized act.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2025

Yet, much like the entire $7.2 trillion federal budget, it is a bit of a phantasm—part real, part fantasy, part nightmare, not likely to materialize in life, except as a warped caricature of itself.

From Slate ● Mar. 12, 2024

I was exhausted from Mary Day goings-on, and the real part hadn’t even started.

From "The Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd

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