Real

Noun

1. A commodity; see reality.
2. (grammar) One of the three genders that the common gender can be separated into in the Scandinavian languages.
3. (mathematics) A real number.
• 2007, Mark Bridges, REAL ANALYSIS: A Constructive ApproachThere have been several classical constructions of the reals that avoid these prob-
  lems, the most famous ones being Dedekind Cuts and Cauchy Sequences, named
  respectively for the mathematicians Richard Dedekind (1831 - 1916) and Augustine
  Cauchy (1789 - 1857). We will not discuss these constructions here, but will use a
  more modern one developed by Gabriel Stolzenberg, based on "interval arithmetic."
4. (obsolete) A realist.

Adjective

real

1. Actually being or existing; not fictitious or imaginary.a description of real life
• MiltonI waked, and found
  Before mine eyes all real, as the dream
  Had lively shadowed.
2. That can be characterized as a confirmation of truth.
• 2013-06-29, Travels and travails, Even without hovering drones, a lurking assassin, a thumping score and a denouement, the real-life story of Edward Snowden, a rogue spy on the run, could be straight out of the cinema. But, as with Hollywood, the subplots and exotic locations may distract from the real message: America’s discomfort and its foes’ glee.
3. That has physical existence.
   No one has ever seen a real unicorn.
4. (economics) Having been adjusted to remove the effects of inflation; contrasted with nominal.
   My dad calculated my family's real consumption per month.
   What is the real GNP of this polity?
5. (economics) Relating to the result of the actions of rational agents; relating to neoclassical economic models as opposed to Keynesian models.
6. (mathematics, of a number) Being either a rational number, or the limit of a convergent infinite sequence of rational numbers: being one of a set of numbers with a one-to-one correspondence to the points on a line.
7. (legal) Relating to immovable tangible property.
   real estate;  real property
• Francis BaconMany are perfect in men's humours that are not greatly capable of the real part of business.
8. That is an exemplary or pungent instance of a class or type.
   This is a real problem.
   Some say he is a real hero.
9. Genuine, not faked or substituted.
• MiltonWhose perfection far excelled
  Hers in all real dignity.
• 2013-06-21, Oliver Burkeman, The tao of tech, The dirty secret of the internet is that all this distraction and interruption is immensely profitable. Web companies like to boast about …, or offering services that let you..."share the things you love with the world" and so on. But the real way to build a successful online business is to be better than your rivals at undermining people's control of their own attention.
10. These are real tears!
    Adopted at birth, I didn't meet my real father until I was 18.
11. Genuine, not artificial.
• 2013-06-01, A better waterworks, An artificial kidney these days still means a refrigerator-sized dialysis machine. Such devices mimic the way real kidneys cleanse blood and eject impurities and surplus water as urine.
12. This is real leather.
13. (slang) Signifying meritorious qualities or actions especially in regards to enjoying life, prowess at sports and success wooing potential partners.
    I'm keeping it real.

Synonyms

• (that can be characterized as a confirmation of truth) true
• (that has physical existence) actual
• (genuine, not faked) authentic, genuine, heartfelt, true
• (genuine, not artificial) authentic, genuine

Antonyms

• (that can be characterized as a confirmation of truth) imaginary, unreal
• (that has physical existence) fictitious, imaginary, made-up, pretend informal
• (relating to numbers with a one-to-one correspondence to the points on a line) imaginary
• (genuine, not faked) feigned, sham, staged
• (genuine, not artificial) artificial, counterfeit, fake, sham

Adverb

real

1. (US, colloquial) really.

Derived terms

From Spanish real ("royal"), from Latin rēgālis ("regal, royal").