Word
realty
Phoneticsre·al·ty
US/ˈɹiəɫˌti/
UK/ɹˈiəlti/
Definitions
01real estate
n. land and the buildings on it, especially when talked about in a legal or business way.
n. real property consisting of land and the buildings on it. Often used in legal or commercial contexts to distinguish land from personal possessions.
“The company has large holdings in commercial realty across the city.”
“The firm specialises in the acquisition of distressed realty, focusing on urban redevelopment projects that require significant legal restructuring.”
Formal · Technical
Usage
Often used as an uncountable noun in business contexts.
Pitfall
I am looking for a new realty.
I am looking for a new property.
Realty is usually uncountable when referring to the concept or industry; use 'property' for a specific house or building.
Teaching tip
Learners often confuse this with 'reality'. Remind them that 'realty' is strictly about real estate and land.
Antonyms
02inherited land
n. property like land or houses that is left to someone after a person dies.
n. the portion of an estate consisting of real property that descends to an heir, as opposed to personal property.
“The will divided the estate into realty for the son and cash for the daughter.”
“Under the terms of the trust, the realty was to remain intact for three generations, preventing the sale of the family's ancestral lands.”
Formal · Technical
Usage
Used in probate and inheritance law to distinguish land from movable goods.
Teaching tip
This is a highly specialised legal sense; most modern speakers will simply say 'property' or 'real estate'.
Synonyms
Etymology
From Middle French realité (“property, possession”). Doublet of reality.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domain
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/realty