reality

American  

[ree-al-i-tee] / riˈæl ɪ ti /

noun

• realities
  plural

1. the state or quality of being real.

2. resemblance to what is real.

3. a real thing or fact.

4. real things, facts, or events taken as a whole; state of affairs.

   the reality of the business world; vacationing to escape reality.

5. Philosophy.

   1. something that exists independently of ideas concerning it.

   2. something that exists independently of all other things and from which all other things derive.

6. something that is real.

7. something that constitutes a real or actual thing, as distinguished from something that is merely apparent.

---

adjective

1. noting or pertaining to a TV program or film that portrays nonactors interacting or competing with each other in real but contrived situations, allegedly without a script.

   a popular reality show; reality TV.

idioms

1. in reality, in fact or truth; actually.

   brave in appearance, but in reality a coward.

reality British  

/ rɪˈælɪtɪ /

noun

1. the state of things as they are or appear to be, rather than as one might wish them to be

2. something that is real

3. the state of being real

4. philosophy

   1. that which exists, independent of human awareness

   2. the totality of facts as they are independent of human awareness of them See also conceptualism Compare appearance

5. actually; in fact

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonreality
  noun
• proreality
  noun
• antireality
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• realities
  plural

---

Etymology

Origin of reality

From the Medieval Latin word reālitās, dating back to 1540–50. See real ¹, -ity

---

Explanation

Reality is the way things actually are, not the way you might want them to be. Many TV shows claim to be reality, but they are really just pretend. The only actual reality is the life that happens every day. The noun reality harkens back to the late Latin realis, and later to the mid-16th Century Medieval Latin reālitās, referring to legal property matters, with the current meaning of "true existence" not coming about until 1647. Philosophers and scientists often debate about the true nature of reality, and a common philosophy is that a person’s reality is whatever he or she thinks it is. Or, as film director Tim Burton once said, "One person's craziness is another person's reality."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

reality realities

“Everyone says safety and security is the number one priority, but in reality, making money is the number one priority. At times there is tension between the two.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026

For those who became homeowners, Right to Buy turned a dream into reality.

From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026

Raman’s status as mayor-elect would have seemed nearly unthinkable at the start of the year, when Bass’ challengers included former reality TV star Spencer Pratt, former L.A.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2026

“Frustration with the results last night could pull that forward, though the reality of military planning means there is a limit to how quickly the administration can decide to move,” Allen said.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 4, 2026

Still, one of them must, and my breath catches at this evidence that the boy existed in reality.

From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse

The Moneyist weighs in on the harsh financial realities that too many Americans face.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 5, 2026

In his eyes, beauty takes all forms, morphing into the grotesque and outrageous before transforming again into a light, airy meringue, generously portioned atop life’s dense realities.

From Salon ● Oct. 22, 2026

This is a patient, deeply considered work, yet one electric with idiosyncratic detail and the discomfort of reckoning with the realities of class.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026

But Unite said NatWest's decision was "out of touch with the realities facing its workforce", with many facing higher travel and childcare costs.

From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026

As much as I believed that Negro people should have an equal opportunity to participate in American society, there were realities to deal with.

From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---

Related Words

• existence
• matter
• phenomenon
• real world
• realism
• sensibility
• truth

---