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

Example Sentences

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

“Because this place is a real part of him,” Allen said.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 27, 2023

The horizontal axis represents the real part of the complex number, while the vertical axis represents the imaginary part.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife