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Real: re·al1
(rl, rl) adj. Being or occurring in fact or actuality; having verifiable
existence: real objects; a real illness. True and actual; not imaginary,
alleged, or ideal: real people, not ghosts; a real problem; a film based
on real life. Of or founded on practical matters and concerns: a recent
graduate experiencing the real world for the first time. Genuine and authentic;
not artificial or spurious: real mink; real humility. Being no less than
what is stated; worthy of the name: a real friend. Free of pretense, falsehood,
or affectation: tourists wishing for a real experience while on the guided
tour. Not to be taken lightly; serious: We're in real trouble. Philosophy.
Existing objectively in the world regardless of subjectivity or conventions
of thought or language. Relating to, being, or having value reckoned by
actual purchasing power: real income; real growth. Physics. Of, relating
to, or being an image formed by light rays that converge in space. Mathematics.
Of, relating to, or being a real number. Law. Of or relating to stationary
or fixed property, such as buildings or land. adv. Informal Very: I'm
real sorry about that. n. A thing or whole having actual existence. Often
used with the: theories beyond the realm of the real. Mathematics. A real
number. Idioms: for real Slang Truly so in fact or actuality: “Is this
place for real? A wolf in a . . . leisure suit and a cow in a print dress
wait patiently on the couch in the lobby” (Teresa Carson). realness n.
Synonyms: real, actual, true, existent. These adjectives are compared
as they mean not imaginary but having verifiable existence. Real implies
that something is genuine or authentic or that what it seems or purports
to be tallies with fact: Don't lose the bracelet; it's made of real gold.
My mother showed real sympathy for my predicament. “The general, in a
well-feigned or real ecstasy, embraced him” (William Hickling Prescott).
Actual means existing and not merely potential or possible: “rocks, trees
. . . the actual world” (Henry David Thoreau); “what the actual things
were which produced the emotion that you experienced” (Ernest Hemingway).
True implies that something is consistent with fact, reality, or the actual
state of things: “It is undesirable to believe a proposition when there
is no ground whatever for supposing it true” (Bertrand Russell). Existent
applies to what has life or being: Much of the beluga caviar existent
in the world is found in the Soviet Union and Iran. See also synonyms
at authentic. courtesy
of dictionary.com
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