First Known Use: 14th century
Dictionary
1real
adjective re·al \ˈrē(-ə)l\
: actually existing or happening : not imaginary
: not fake, false, or artificial
: important and deserving to be regarded or treated in a serious way
Full Definition of REAL
1
: of or relating to fixed, permanent, or immovable things (as lands or tenements)
2
a : not artificial, fraudulent, or illusory : genuine <real gold>; also : being precisely what the name implies <a real professional> b (1) : occurring or existing in actuality <saw a real live celebrity> <a story of real life> (2) : of or relating to practical or everyday concerns or activities <left school to live in the real world> (3) : existing as a physical entity and having properties that deviate from an ideal, law, or standard <a real gas> — compare ideal 3b c : having objective independent existence <unable to believe that what he saw was real> d : fundamental, essential e (1) : belonging to or having elements or components that belong to the set of real numbers <the real roots of an equation> <a real matrix> (2) : concerned with or containing real numbers <real analysis> (3) : real-valued <real variable> f : measured by purchasing power <real income> <real dollars> g : complete, utter <a real fiasco>
See real defined for English-language learners
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Origin of REAL
Middle English, real, relating to things (in law), from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin & Late Latin; Medieval Latin realis relating to things (in law), from Late Latin, real, from Latin res thing, fact; akin to Sanskrit rayi property
Related to REAL
- Synonyms
- bona fide, certifiable, certified, dinkum [Australian & New Zealand], echt, genuine, honest, pukka (also pucka), authentic, right, sure-enough, true
- Antonyms
- bogus, counterfeit, fake, false, mock, phony (also phoney), pseudo, sham, spurious, suppositious, supposititious, unauthentic, unreal
2real
noun
Definition of REAL
: a real thing; especially : a mathematically real quantity
First Known Use of REAL
circa 1626
3real
adverb
: very or really
Full Definition of REAL
: very <he was real cool — H. M. McLuhan>
See real defined for English-language learners
Usage Discussion of REAL
Most handbooks consider the adverb real to be informal and more suitable to speech than writing. Our evidence shows these observations to be true in the main, but real is becoming more common in writing of an informal, conversational style. It is used as an intensifier only and is not interchangeable with really except in that use.
First Known Use of REAL
1718
Related to REAL
- Synonyms
- achingly, almighty, archly, awful, awfully, badly, beastly, blisteringly, bone, colossally, corking, cracking, damn, damned, dang, deadly, desperately, eminently, enormously, especially, ever, exceedingly (also exceeding), extra, extremely, fabulously, fantastically, far, fiercely, filthy, frightfully, full, greatly, heavily, highly, hugely, immensely, incredibly, intensely, jolly, majorly, mightily, mighty, monstrous [chiefly dialect], mortally, most, much, particularly, passing, rattling, very, really, right, roaring, roaringly, seriously, severely, so, sore, sorely, spanking, specially, stinking, such, super, supremely, surpassingly, terribly, that, thumping, too, unco, uncommonly, vastly, vitally, way, whacking, wicked, wildly
- Antonyms
- little, negligibly, nominally, slightly, somewhat
4real
noun re·al \rā-ˈäl\
plural reals or re·ales \-ˈä-(ˌ)lās\
Definition of REAL
: a former monetary unit and coin of Spain and its possessions
Origin of REAL
Spanish, from real royal, from Latin regalis — more at royal
First Known Use: 1555
5real
noun re·al \rā-ˈäl\
plural reals or reis \ˈrāsh, ˈrās, ˈrāzh, ˈrāz\
Definition of REAL
1
: a former monetary unit and coin of Portugal
2
— see money table
Origin of REAL
Portuguese, from real royal, from Latin regalis
First Known Use: 1951
REAL Defined for Kids
1real
adjective re·al \ˈrē-əl, ˈrēl\
Definition of REAL for Kids
1
: not imaginary : actual <Blondie's real name is Ashley.>
2
: not artificial : genuine <real leather> <He's a real gentleman.>
Synonym Discussion of REAL
real, actual, and true mean agreeing with known facts. real is used when a thing is what it appears to be. <This is a real diamond.> actual means that someone or something does or did occur or exist. <Is Santa Claus an actual person?> true may be used of something that is real or actual. <It's a true story.> It may also be used of something that agrees with a standard. <A whale is not a true fish.>
2real
adverb
Definition of REAL for Kids
: 1very 1 <I had a real good time.>
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