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Synonyms

unreality

American  
[uhn-ree-al-i-tee] / ˌʌn riˈæl ɪ ti /

noun

plural

unrealities

  1. lack of reality; quality of being unreal.

    the unreality of dreams.

  2. something that is unreal, invalid, imaginary, or illusory.

    She appeared to be living in a world of unrealities.

  3. incompetence or impracticality, especially in everyday matters.

unreality British  
/ ˌʌnrɪˈælɪtɪ /

noun

  1. the quality or state of being unreal, fanciful, or impractical

  2. something that is unreal

"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 unreality

First recorded in 1745–55; un- 1 + reality

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.

But they are facing threats from all sides: A vengeful president; a distracted and disengaged audience used to endless scrolling and pop-pop-pops of entertainment; the creeping unreality of A.I.

From Slate • Jan. 5, 2026

"Mr Bridgen's case as pleaded and evidenced so far does not have an obvious quality of unreality," she said.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2025

Herbert Simon said, "If you go down this path you're basing all of economics on the principle of unreality."

From Salon • Feb. 1, 2025

But by that point, the reunion has already taken on a peculiar sadness, a tinge of unreality that only a cruel shock of daylight and the tears on your pillow will be able to explain.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 20, 2023

I looked at them, fighting a sense of unreality.

From "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.