1
a
: having objective independent existence
unable to believe that what he saw was real
b
: not artificial, fraudulent, or illusory : genuine
real gold
also
: being precisely what the name implies
a real professional
c(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)
: behaving or presented in a way that feels true, honest, or familiar and without pretension or affectation
… That was the tragedy of Nurse Jackie … Great nurse. Flawed human being, and an irreparable one. That's also what made her real, and relatable, and what Falco brought so fully to the role …—
Verne Gay
Verne GayOn the afternoon of May 28, resident Rick Grant told The Enterprise as he waited with other grievers in the town hall's town-board room for his turn before a board, "We all want the same thing: Be real on the taxes, do a proper assessment, a fair assessment."—The Altamont Enterprise
The Altamont EnterpriseFor every follower of the PEANUTS comics knows about the Little Red-Haired Girl, the character who intrigues a shy Charlie Brown. Hem he does, and haw he will, and every reader fidgets, too, knowing that such moments are utterly human and all too real.—Alysia Gray-Painter
Alysia Gray-PainterWe're living through strange times in America, but that hasn't stopped Chrissy Teigen from being her wonderfully authentic self on social media—from showing up to husband John Legend's Instagram Live concert in a towel to sharing some real talk about childbirth.—Abby Gardner
Abby GardnerCoach Tucker has always just kept it real with me from the start. … He's been one of the most honest coaches. He's not about the B.S., hype and all that.—Kameron Allen
Kameron Allen"The thing that makes college basketball so fascinating to me is that almost everyone's a hair away from the dream …. And, let's keep it real, a lot of them are in school just for the experience needed to get to the next level."—LL Cool J
LL Cool JDo you actually think you left popularity contests behind in high school? Please, get real.—Jillian Mackenzie
Jillian Mackenzie
(4)
: existing as a physical entity and having properties that deviate from an ideal, law, or standard
a real gas
compare ideal sense 1b
e
f
: measured by purchasing power
real income
real dollars
g(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
2
: of or relating to fixed, permanent, or immovable things (such as lands or tenements)
real property
3
of a particle
: capable of being detected compare virtual sense 4
realness
noun
: a real thing
especially
: a mathematically real quantity
1
plural reais
ˈrāsh 
ˈrās,
ˈrāzh,
ˈrāz
or reis also reals
: the basic monetary unit of Brazil see Money Table
2
plural reales
rā-ˈä-(ˌ)lās
or reals
or reals
: a former monetary unit and coin of Spain and its possessions
Examples of real in a Sentence
Adjective
The movie is based on real events.
The detective Sherlock Holmes is not a real person.
He has no real power; he is just a figurehead.
The battle scenes in the movie seemed very real to me.
The team has a real chance at winning.
There is a very real possibility that we will be moving to Maine.
In real life, relationships are not perfect.
The actor looks taller on TV than he does in real life.
He's always daydreaming and seems to be out of touch with the real world.
What is his real name?
Adverb
We had a real good time.
The water is real warm.
We went to bed real late.
Recent Examples on the Web
Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025
Inspired by real life, much of her work serves as testimony.
—JSTOR Daily, 30 Oct. 2025
Pete Sampson, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025
These are real positive things happening in the UK.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2025
Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 18 Oct. 2025
Much as Wes Anderson and Yorgos Lanthimos have plumbed Dafoe’s deliciously wicked sense of humor in pieces that straddle the line between the real and the archly stylized, Solnicki understands that a strong Dafoe performance must always teeter between the two.
—Manuel Betancourt, Variety, 28 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for real
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Adjective
But still, 10 days with no real food suuuuuuuuuuuucks.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025
Inspired by real life, much of her work serves as testimony.
—JSTOR Daily, 30 Oct. 2025
Adverb
And more than anything, more than the animosity between the programs, more than the College Football Playoff impact, more than Notre Dame puffing its chest out as USC backed down, that familiarity was the real higher power at work.
—Pete Sampson, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025
These are real positive things happening in the UK.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2025
Noun
Our phones are turning into pocket-size casinos, offering windowless retreats from the real.
—Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 18 Oct. 2025
Much as Wes Anderson and Yorgos Lanthimos have plumbed Dafoe’s deliciously wicked sense of humor in pieces that straddle the line between the real and the archly stylized, Solnicki understands that a strong Dafoe performance must always teeter between the two.
—Manuel Betancourt, Variety, 28 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for real
Cite this Entry
“Real.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/real. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
real
1 of 4 adjective
re·al
ˈrē(-ə)l
ˈri(-ə)l
1
: of, relating to, or made up of land and buildings
real property
2
3
: absolute sense 1a, complete
there's a real surprise at the end
realness
noun
real
3 of 4 noun
re·al
rā-ˈäl
plural reals or reales
-ˈäl-ās
: an old silver coin of Spain
real
4 of 4 noun
re·al
rā-ˈäl
plural reals or reis
ˈrāsh,
ˈrās,
ˈrāzh,
ˈrāz
1
: the basic unit of money of Brazil
2
: a coin or bill representing one real
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