Reality

Pronunciation

• IPA: /riˈælÉ™ti/
• Rhymes: -ælɪti

Origin

Recorded since 1550 as a legal term in the sense of “fixed property” (compare real estate), from realitas, from Late Latin realis ("real"); the sense “real existence” is attested from 1647.

Full definition of reality

Noun

1. The state of being actual or real.
• AddisonA man fancies that he understands a critic, when in reality he does not comprehend his meaning.
• 2013-06-07, Joseph Stiglitz, Globalisation is about taxes too, It is time the international community faced the reality: we have an unmanageable, unfair, distortionary global tax regime. It is a tax system that is pivotal in creating the increasing inequality that marks most advanced countries today ….
2. The reality of the crash scene on TV dawned upon him only when he saw the victim was no actor but his friend.
3. A real entity, event or other fact.
• MiltonAnd to realities yield all her shows.
• BeattieMy neck may be an idea to you, but it is reality to me.
4. The ultimate reality of life is that it ends in death.
5. The entirety of all that is real.
6. An individual observer's own subjective perception of that which is real.
7. (obsolete) Loyalty; devotion.
• FullerTo express our reality to the emperor.
8. (legal, obsolete) realty; real estate

Synonyms

• actuality
• real world

Derived terms

• reality check
• reality show
• reality television
• virtual reality

Related terms

• realia
• realism
• realize
• realty

Anagrams

• irately