real

A1 Topic:Describing Qualities

Also spelled raal

US /ɹil/ UK /ɹiːl/ See IPA manual

Freq #264

Meanings

1

adj
Actually existing or happening, not imagined or invented.

The film is based on a real person.
2

adj
Genuine, not fake, artificial, or copied.

This is real leather.
3

adj
True and sincere, not pretended.

These are real tears!
4

adj
Serious and important; not to be taken lightly.

Poverty and unemployment are very real problems.
5

adv
Very; really (informal).

That was a real good movie.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · actually existing or... actual

2 adj · genuine, not fake,... authentic genuine

5 adv · very; really (informal). very

More based heartfelt true

Opposites

artificial counterfeit fake feigned fictitious imaginarymade-upnonrealpretend sham staged unreal

Word family

Forms realerrealesrealestrealsreis

Derived forms antirealarealcyberrealderealizationderealizehyperrealphotorealreal-timereal-valuedreal-worldreal-worlderrealise

Related forms milreisregal royal

Appears in

Phrases (3)

See all

Proverbs (2)

See all

Even paranoids have enemies
Matching variant: Even paranoids have real enemies
Keep it real

Simplified etymology

Real ultimately comes from Latin res, “thing,” through the Latin adjective realis, “relating to things,” and then French. It first entered English as a legal term, a history preserved in real property and real estate, where real refers to immovable property such as land and houses.

Etymology

From Middle English real, from Old French reel, from Late Latin reālis (“actual”), from Latin rēs (“matter, thing”), from Proto-Indo-European *reh₁ís (“wealth, goods”). Doublet of realis.

real Middle English reel Old French reālis Latin rēs Latin *reh₁ís Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Register & Style

External links

# real

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A1
**Part of speech:** adj, adv
**IPA (US):** /ɹil/
**IPA (UK):** /ɹiːl/
**Frequency rank:** 264

## Meanings
1. Actually existing or happening, not imagined or invented.
2. Genuine, not fake, artificial, or copied.
3. True and sincere, not pretended.
4. Serious and important; not to be taken lightly.
5. Very; really (informal).

## Examples
- The film is based on a real person.
- This is real leather.
- These are real tears!
- Poverty and unemployment are very real problems.
- That was a real good movie.

## Synonyms
- actual
- authentic
- based
- genuine
- heartfelt
- true

## Antonyms
- artificial
- counterfeit
- fake
- feigned
- fictitious
- imaginary
- made-up
- nonreal
- pretend
- sham
- staged
- unreal

## Derived Forms
- antireal
- areal
- cyberreal
- derealization
- derealize
- hyperreal
- photoreal
- real-time
- real-valued
- real-world
- real-worlder
- realise

## Related Forms
- milreis
- regal
- royal

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: real
- Root: reel
- Root: reālis
- Root: rēs
- Root: *reh₁ís

## Etymology
From Middle English real, from Old French reel, from Late Latin reālis (“actual”), from Latin rēs (“matter, thing”), from Proto-Indo-European *reh₁ís (“wealth, goods”). Doublet of realis.

## AI Etymology
Real comes from Middle English real, from Old French reel, from Late Latin reālis (“actual”), from Latin rēs (“matter, thing”), from Proto-Indo-European *reh₁ís (“wealth, goods”). Doublet of realis. Modern senses include actually existing or happening, not imagined or invented. and genuine, not fake, artificial, or copied.. The wider word family includes derivatives such as antireal, areal, cyberreal, derealization, derealize, and hyperreal and related forms such as milreis, regal, and royal.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Register & Style

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