ENGLISH
REFERENCE

real

adj. · adv. · n.
US //ˈɹiɫ// re·al
  1. 1 existing in fact (adj.)
    A1 Beginner

    actually existing or happening, not imaginary or made up.

    existing as a physical or objective fact rather than being imaginary, fictitious, or theoretical.

    Example

    The movie is based on a real story about a family in the 1920s.

    Example

    Scientists are still searching for real evidence of liquid water on the surface of distant planets.
  2. 2 not fake (adj.)
    A2 Elementary

    genuine and not a copy or a fake version.

    authentic and not counterfeit, artificial, or a substitute.

    Example

    Is that a real diamond in your ring or is it just glass?

    Example

    The museum curator confirmed that the signature was real, much to the relief of the private collector.
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  1. 3 sincere (adj.)
    B1 Intermediate

    honest and sincere, showing your true feelings.

    unfeigned and sincere; expressing genuine emotion or character.

    Example

    It was a real pleasure to meet your parents at the party.

    Example

    Despite the formal setting, he spoke with real warmth about his late mentor's contributions to the field.
    • insincere
  2. 4 adjusted for inflation (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Academic Economics

    the value of money after you consider how prices have changed.

    relating to a value that has been adjusted to remove the effects of inflation to show true purchasing power.

    Example

    While wages went up, real income stayed the same because prices rose too.

    Example

    Economists prefer to track real GDP growth to understand the actual increase in production without the distortion of price changes.
    • inflation adjusted
  3. 5 property (adj.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Formal Law

    relating to land and buildings.

    relating to immovable tangible property, such as land or buildings.

    Example

    He works in real estate, helping people buy their first homes.

    Example

    The dispute centered on real property rights that had been established in the nineteenth century.
  4. 6 authentic person (adj.)
    C1 Advanced Slang

    being honest and true to yourself, not acting like a fake person.

    signifying meritorious qualities of genuineness and groundedness; often used to praise someone for not being a 'poser'.

    Example

    I like her because she is real and doesn't care what others think.

    Example

    In an industry full of manufactured personas, he managed to stay real and keep his original fans.
  5. 7 very (adv.)
    B1 Intermediate American English Informal

    used to mean 'very' or 'really' to make an adjective stronger.

    used as an intensifier meaning 'very'; primarily found in informal speech.

    Example

    That pizza was real good, we should go back there again.

    Example

    He was moving real slow after the marathon, his muscles clearly exhausted from the effort.
    Pitfall
    The food was real good.
    The food was really good.

    In formal writing, use the adverb 'really' instead of 'real' to modify an adjective.

  6. 8 currency (n.)
    B1 Intermediate Economics

    the name of the money used in Brazil.

    the basic unit of money in Brazil; also refers to historical Spanish or Portuguese coins.

    Example

    I need to exchange my dollars for the Brazilian real before my trip.

    Example

    The central bank intervened to stabilize the real after a week of volatile trading on the international markets.

    Usage

    The plural is 'reais' in Portuguese, but often 'reals' in English.

  7. 9 math number (n.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Math

    any number that can be found on a continuous number line.

    a value that represents a quantity along a continuous line, including rational and irrational numbers.

    Example

    In this equation, x must be a real number, not an imaginary one.

    Example

    The function is defined for all reals except where the denominator equals zero.
    • real number
    • imaginary number
Etymology 1

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.

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Spanish real (“royal”), from Latin rēgālis (“regal, royal”). Doublet of ariary, regal, riyal, and royal.

Etymology 3

From Portuguese real (“royal”), from Latin rēgālis (“regal; royal”). Doublet of ariary, regal, riyal, and royal.

Word family
Idioms8 entries

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