Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

reality show

British  

noun

  1. a television show in which members of the public or celebrities are filmed living their everyday lives or undertaking specific challenges

"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

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.

A few weeks after my visit, he told Fox News that he has spent part of the past several months traveling the country for a reality show he’s making to celebrate America’s 250th birthday.

From Slate • Jun. 5, 2026

He adds: "Putin was playing this sort of very, very, I suppose, traditional Soviet leadership role, but he was doing it in an era of the reality show, MTV and sugar daddies."

From BBC • May 30, 2026

The state previously had a smaller incentive program, but former Gov. Chris Christie killed it to save money and blocked a planned payout to the reality show “Jersey Shore.”

From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026

The situation increasingly resembles an episode from The Apprentice, the blockbuster reality show that made Trump a TV star and helped pave his way to the presidency.

From Barron's • May 19, 2026

So didn't there used to be a reality show where people had to date each other in pitch-darkness?

From "Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda" by Becky Albertalli

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Look it up. Learn it forever.

Remember "reality show" for good with VocabTrainer. Expand your vocabulary effortlessly with personalized learning tools that adapt to your goals.

Take me to Vocabulary.com