# realty

/ˈɹiəɫˌti/ (US) · /ɹˈiəlti/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/realty
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. real estate

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal · Technical

land and the buildings on it, especially when talked about in a legal or business way.

For teachers: 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.

Usage: Often used as an uncountable noun in business contexts.

Teaching tip: Learners often confuse this with 'reality'. Remind them that 'realty' is strictly about real estate and land.

### 2. inherited land

noun · CEFR C2 · Formal · Technical

property like land or houses that is left to someone after a person dies.

For teachers: 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.

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'.

## Examples

- The company owns a large amount of realty in the city.
- The firm specializes in commercial realty, helping businesses find office space and warehouses in the downtown area.
- The investment portfolio was heavily weighted toward urban realty, reflecting a belief that property values in the metropolitan core would continue to outpace inflation.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.