real part

American

[ree-uhl, reel] / ˈri əl, ril /

noun

Mathematics.

the number a in the complex number a + bi.

real part British

noun

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

Etymology

Origin of real part

First recorded in 1960–65

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.

See Examples For:

real part

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

It’s a real part of this history and part of The Captain’s trauma.

From Salon ● May 27, 2024

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

“But now it’s gonna be a real part of the turn. It’s gonna pull...”

From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole

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