# real
## English
### 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.

#### Pronunciation

* enPR: rēəl, rēl, IPA: /ˈɹiːəl/, /ɹiːl/
* UK:(file)
* US:(file)
* Rhymes: -iːəl, -iːl
* Homophone: reel (some accents)

#### Adjective

real (comparative realer or more real, superlative realest or most real)
* True, genuine, not merely nominal or apparent.
    City hall has its place, but this pub is the real heart of the town.
** 2007, Jim Kokoris, The Rich Part of Life: A Novel, →ISBN, page 179:[T]he real reason he didn't come was because he was scared of flying[.]
** 2013 June 29, “Travels and travails”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8842, page 55:Even without hovering drones, a lurking assassin, a thumping score and a denouement, the real-life story of Edward Snowden, a rogue spy on the run, could be straight out of the cinema. But, as with Hollywood, the subplots and exotic locations may distract from the real message: America’s discomfort and its foes’ glee.
* Genuine, not artificial, counterfeit, or fake.
** 2013 June 1, “A better waterworks”, in The Economist‎, volume 407, number 8838, page 5 (Technology Quarterly):An artificial kidney these days still means a refrigerator-sized dialysis machine. Such devices mimic the way real kidneys cleanse blood and eject impurities and surplus water as urine.
    This is real leather.
* Genuine, unfeigned, sincere.
** 1667, John Milton, “Book IX”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:Whose perfection farr excell’d Hers in all real dignitie
** 2013 June 21, Oliver Burkeman, “The tao of tech”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 2, page 27:The dirty secret of the internet is that all this distraction and interruption is immensely profitable. Web companies like to boast about […], or offering services that let you […] "share the things you love with the world" and so on. But the real way to build a successful online business is to be better than your rivals at undermining people's control of their own attention.
    These are real tears!
* Actually being, existing, or occurring; not fictitious or imaginary.
    a description of real life
** 1667, John Milton, “Book VII”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:I waked, and found / Before mine eyes all real, as the dream / Had lively shadowed.
* That has objective, physical existence.
    No one has ever seen a real unicorn.
* (economics) Having been adjusted to remove the effects of inflation; measured in purchasing power (contrast nominal).
    My dad calculated my family's real consumption per month.
    What is the real GNP of this polity?
* (economics) Relating to the result of the actions of rational agents; relating to neoclassical economic models as opposed to Keynesian models.
* (mathematics, of a number) Being either a rational number, or the limit of a convergent infinite sequence of rational numbers: being one of a set of numbers with a one-to-one correspondence to the points on a line.
* (law) Relating to immovable tangible property.
    real estate; real property
** 1625, Francis [Bacon], “Of Cunning”, in The Essayes […], 3rd edition, London: […] Iohn Haviland for Hanna Barret, →OCLC:Many are perfect in men's humours that are not greatly capable of the real part of business.
* Absolute, complete, utter.
    This is a real problem.
* (slang) Signifying meritorious qualities or actions, especially with regard to genuineness, groundedness, and true success rather than poser imitations of success.
    I'm keeping it real.
** (informal) Firm through directness, readiness to confront.
    yo, Imma be real with u... don't ever text me again

##### Synonyms

* (true, genuine): true, actual
* (genuine, not artificial): authentic, genuine, actual
* (genuine, unfeigned): authentic, genuine, heartfelt, true, actual, based
* (that has physical existence): actual

##### Antonyms

* (antonym(s) of “true, genuine”): imaginary, nonreal, unreal
* (antonym(s) of “genuine, not artificial”): artificial, counterfeit, fake, sham
* (antonym(s) of “genuine, unfeigned”): feigned, sham, staged
* (antonym(s) of “that has physical existence”): fictitious, imaginary, made-up, pretend (informal)
* (antonym(s) of “relating to numbers with a one-to-one correspondence to the points on a line”): imaginary

##### Derived terms

* big real mode
* cyberreal
* flat real mode
* for real
* for real life
* get real
* hard real-time
* in a real state
* it's been real
* keep it real
* like real
* on the real
* real ale
* real analysis
* real and straight
* real asset
* real axis
* real body
* real capital
* real covenant
* real deal
* real diaper
* real estate
* real estate agent
* real focus
* real function
* real gone
* real image
* real income
* reality
* real jam
* real ledger
* real life
* real-life experience
* real line
* really
* real Macoy
* real market
* real matrix
* real McCoy
* real McKoy
* real men don't eat quiche
* real mode
* real nappy
* realness
* real number
* real one
* real option
* real part
* real-person fiction
* real person fiction
* real plane
* real presence
* real projective plane
* real property
* real property tax
* real reality
* real return
* real right
* real school
* real soon now
* real storage
* real stuff
* real superhero
* real talk
* real tennis
* real thing
* real time
* real-time
* real valued
* real-valued
* real variable
* real vector space
* real wages
* real world
* real-world
* real-worlder
* shadow real wage
* shit just got real
* soft real-time
* the real deal
* the real thing
* the real treasure is the friends we made along the way
* the struggle is real
* virtual real mode
* will the real someone please stand up

##### Translations

    The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

#### Adverb

real (not comparable)
* (US, colloquial) Really; very.
    When I told him the truth, he got real mad.
    Se looked at me real strange.

##### Translations
#### Noun

real (plural reals)
* A commodity; see realty.
* (grammar) One of the three genders that the common gender can be separated into in the Scandinavian languages.
* (mathematics, computing) A real number.
** 2007, Mark Bridges, REAL ANALYSIS: A Constructive Approach, Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, page 11:There have been several classical constructions of the reals that avoid these problems, the most famous ones being Dedekind Cuts and Cauchy Sequences, named respectively for the mathematicians Richard Dedekind (1831 - 1916) and Augustine Cauchy (1789 - 1857). We will not discuss these constructions here, but will use a more modern one developed by Gabriel Stolzenberg, based on "interval arithmetic."
* (obsolete) A realist.
** 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC:Scotists, Thomists, Reals, Nominals

##### Translations
### Etymology 2

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

#### Pronunciation

* (UK) enPR: rāäl', IPA: /ɹeɪˈɑːl/
** Audio (Southern England):(file)
** Rhymes: -ɑːl
* (US) enPR: rāäl', IPA: /ɹeɪˈɑl/
** Rhymes: -ɑl

#### Noun

real (plural reals or reales)
* Former unit of currency of Spain and Spain's colonies.
* A coin worth one real.

##### Translations
### Etymology 3

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

#### Pronunciation

* (UK) enPR: rāäl', IPA: /ɹeɪˈɑːl/
* (US) enPR: rāäl', IPA: /ɹeɪˈɑl/
* Audio (Southern England):(file)
* Rhymes: -ɑːl, -ɑl

#### Noun

real (plural reis or réis or reals)
* (uncountable) A unit of currency used in Portugal and its colonies from 1430 until 1911, and in Brazil from 1790 until 1942.
    Synonym: rei
* (countable) A coin worth one real.

#### Noun

real (plural reais or reals)
* (uncountable) A unit of currency used in Brazil since 1994. Symbol: R$.
    Meronym: centavo
** 2011, Perry Anderson, “Lula's Brazil”, in London Review of Books, 33.VII:Within weeks of this bombshell, an aide to the brother of the chairman of the PT, José Genoino, was arrested boarding a flight with 200,000 reais in a suitcase and $100,000 in his underpants.
* (countable) A coin worth one real.

##### Related terms

* regal
* royal
* milreis

##### Translations
### Anagrams

* Arel, Earl, Elar, Lare, Lear, Rael, Raël, earl, lare, lear, rale

## Catalan
### Pronunciation

* IPA: (Central, Balearic, Valencia) [reˈal]
* Rhymes: -al
* Hyphenation: re‧al

### Etymology 1

Borrowed from Late Latin reālis, from Latin rēs.

#### Adjective

real m or f (masculine and feminine plural reals)
* real

##### Derived terms

* nombre real
* realment

##### Related terms

* realitat

### Etymology 2
#### Noun

real m (plural reals)
* real (currency of Brazil)

### Further reading

* “real” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
* “real”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2025
* “real” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
* “real” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

## Crimean Tatar
### Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin reālis (“real, actual”), from Latin rēs (“matter, thing”).

### Adjective

real
* real (true, genuine)
* real (that has physical existence)

#### Synonyms

* aqiqiy, kerçek

### References

* Mirjejev, V. A., Usejinov, S. M. (2002) Ukrajinsʹko-krymsʹkotatarsʹkyj slovnyk [Ukrainian – Crimean Tatar Dictionary]‎, Simferopol: Dolya, →ISBN

## Estonian
### Noun

real
* adessive singular of rida

## Galician
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /reˈal/ [reˈɑɫ]
* Rhymes: -al
* Hyphenation: re‧al

### Etymology 1

From Latin rēgālis (“royal”), from rēx (“king”) + -alis, from Proto-Indo-European *h₃rḗǵs (“ruler, king”).

#### Adjective

real m or f (plural reais)
* royal
    Synonym: rexio

##### Related terms

* realeza
* rei

#### Noun

real m (plural reais)
* real (former unit of currency of Spain)
* real (unit of currency used in Brazil)

### Etymology 2

Borrowed from Late Latin reālis (“actual”), from Latin rēs (“matter, thing”), from Proto-Indo-European *reh₁ís (“thing; possession”).

#### Adjective

real m or f (plural reais)
* real (actually being, existing)

##### Derived terms

* número real

##### Related terms

* realidade
* realismo
* realista

### Further reading

* “real”, in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega (in Galician), A Coruña: Royal Galician Academy, 2012–2025

## German
### Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin reālis. Doublet of reell.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ʁeˈal/
* Audio:(file)
* Rhymes: -aːl

### Adjective

real (strong nominative masculine singular realer, comparative realer, superlative am realsten)
* real (that has physical existence)
    Synonyms: echt, existent, bestehend, gegenständlich, dinglich
    real existierender Sozialismus ― real socialism
* real, realistic (pertaining to reality)
    Diese Geschichte ist nicht real. ― This story is not real.
    Sie ist ein kluges Mädchen; sie denkt real. ― She is a smart girl; she thinks realistically.
    reale Pläne ― real plans
* real-world, practical, particularly (now chiefly archaic) concerned with actual things as opposed to words or ideas
    Realschule ― real school, school
    Realencyclopädie ― encyclopedia
    Realwörterbuch ― encyclopedia, technical dictionary
* (economics) real (not nominal), measured in purchasing power
    reales Einkommen ― real income

#### Derived terms

* Derealisation
* Fotorealismus
* Realencyclopädie
* Realgymnasium
* Realismus
* Realist
* realistisch
* Reallexikon
* Reallohn
* Realpolitik
* Realpräsenz
* Realschule
* Realsozialismus
* Realteil
* Realwert
* Realwirtschaft
* Realwörterbuch
* Realzins
* Schattenreallohn

#### Related terms

* Realität, realisieren

#### Descendants

* → Polish: realny

#### See also

* sachlich, tatsächlich, wirklich

### Further reading

* “real” in Duden online
* “real” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

## Indonesian
### Etymology

From English real, 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 riil.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ˈril]
* Hyphenation: rè‧al

### Adjective

real
* real
    Synonyms: aktual, berbentuk, berupa, kasatmata, konkret, nyata, riil, sesungguhnya, sungguh

#### Related terms

* realis
* realisme
* realistik
* realistis
* riil

### Further reading

* “real” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016.

## Middle English
### Etymology 1

Borrowed from Old French reel, from Late Latin reālis.

#### Alternative forms

* riall, realle, reale, ryall, reall

#### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈrɛːal/, /ˈriːal/

#### Adjective

real
* (Late Middle English) real, true, factual
* (Late Middle English, law) concerning possessions

##### Descendants

* English: real
* Scots: real

##### References

* “rēal, adj.(2).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-04-09.

### Etymology 2
#### Adjective

real
* Alternative form of ryal

#### Noun

real
* Alternative form of ryal

#### Adverb

real
* Alternative form of ryal

## Middle French
### Adjective

real m (feminine singular reale, masculine plural reals, feminine plural reales)
* Alternative form of royal

## Norwegian Bokmål
### Etymology 1

From Late Latin realis.

#### Adjective

real (masculine and feminine real, neuter realt, definite singular and plural reale)
* actual, real

##### Derived terms

* realfag

### Etymology 2

From Portuguese real, from Latin regalis.

#### Noun

real m (definite singular realen, indefinite plural realer, definite plural realene)
* the real, monetary unit of Brazil

### References

* “real” in Det Norske Akademis ordbok (NAOB).

## Norwegian Nynorsk
### Etymology 1

From Late Latin reālis, from Latin rēs (“thing”).

#### Pronunciation

* IPA: /²reː.ɑl/

#### Adjective

real (neuter realt, definite singular and plural reale)
* actual, real
* candid

##### Derived terms

* realfag

### Etymology 2

From Spanish and Portuguese real, from Latin rēgālis (“royal”). Doublet of rijal.

#### Noun

real m (definite singular realen, indefinite plural realar, definite plural realane)
* the real, monetary unit of Brazil
* (historical) a real, one of the former units of currency and coins used in Spain, Portugal and their colonies
** 1887, Prosper Mérimée, “Røvarliv i Spania [Letters from Spain]”, in Sjur, transl., Ungdom: franske forteljingar [Youth – French tales], translation of Lettres d'Espagne, page 34:"Og han fekk dei 1,500 realarne, Jose Maria, elder rettare: han fekk dei att.""And he got those 1,500 reales, Jose Maria, or more accurately: he got them back again."

### Etymology 3
#### Noun

real ?
* (education, historical, colloquial) short for realskuleklasse
** 1991, Ola Grøvdal, Engelen og måsen, page 26:Han tok til å drikke øl i 6., vin i 7. og vodka i 1. real […]He began drinking beer in the sixth, wine in the seventh and vodka in the eighth [grade] […]

### References

* “real” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.
* “real”, in Norsk Ordbok: ordbok over det norske folkemålet og det nynorske skriftmålet, Oslo: Samlaget, 1950-2016

### Anagrams

* erla, lera, lêra, rale, rela

## Old French
### Adjective

real m (oblique and nominative feminine singular real or reale)
* royal; Alternative form of roial
** c. 1170, Chrétien de Troyes, Érec et Énide:El palés real venu sontThey came into the royal palace

#### Descendants

* Middle French: real

## Polish
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈrɛ.al/
* Audio:(file)
* Rhymes: -ɛal
* Syllabification: re‧al

### Etymology 1

Borrowed from Spanish real, from Latin rēgālis.

#### Noun

real m inan
* (historical) real (former unit of currency of Spain and Spain's colonies)

##### Declension
### Etymology 2

Borrowed from Portuguese real, from Latin rēgālis.

#### Noun

real m inan
* (historical) real (former unit of currency of Portugal and Brazil)
* real (currency of Brazil)

##### Declension
### Etymology 3

Borrowed from English (in) real (life).

#### Noun

real m inan
* (Internet, slang) reality, real life, real world (physical reality as opposed to virtual reality)

##### Related terms

* realny
* realnie
* realność
* odealniać impf
* odealnić pf
* realnieć impf
* urealniać impf
* urealnić pf

### Further reading

* real in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
* real in Polish dictionaries at PWN

## Portuguese
### Pronunciation

* (Brazil) IPA: /ʁeˈaw/ [heˈaʊ̯]
* (Brazil) IPA: /ʁeˈaw/ [heˈaʊ̯]
** (Rio de Janeiro) IPA: /ʁeˈaw/ [χeˈaʊ̯]
* (Portugal) IPA: /ʁɨˈal/ [ʁɨˈaɫ]
* (Portugal) IPA: /ʁɨˈal/ [ʁɨˈaɫ]
** (Southern Portugal) IPA: /ʁɨˈa.li/
* Rhymes: (Portugal) -al, (Brazil) -aw
* Hyphenation: re‧al
* Homophones: Real, rial (Portugal), Rial (Portugal)

### Etymology 1

Learned borrowing from Late Latin reālem (“actual”), from Latin rēs (“matter, thing”), from Proto-Indo-European *rēy- (“thing; possession”).

#### Adjective

real m or f (plural reais, comparable, comparative mais real, superlative o mais real or realíssimo)
* true, real
* that has physical existence; real
* (mathematics, of a number) being a member of the set of real numbers; real

##### Derived terms

* realmente

##### Related terms

* realidade
* realismo
* realista
* realístico
* realizar

#### Noun

real m (plural reais)
* a real number

#### Noun

real f (uncountable)
* (Brazil, colloquial) truth (conformity to fact or reality)
    Synonyms: verdade, realidade
    Estou falando a real.I'm telling [you] the truth.

### Etymology 2

From Latin rēgālis (“royal”), from rēx (“king”) + -ālis, from Proto-Indo-European *h₃rḗǵs (“ruler, king”).

#### Adjective

real m or f (plural reais)
* (relational) monarchy; royal; regal
* having the air or demeanour of a monarch; regal

##### Related terms

* realengo
* realeza
* rei
* reino

#### Noun

real m (plural reais or réis)
* a former currency of Portugal and its colonies

#### Noun

real m (plural reais)
* a former Spanish currency
* the current Brazilian currency

### Further reading

* “real”, in iDicionário Aulete (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2025
* “real”, in Dicio – Dicionário Online de Português (in Portuguese), Porto: 7Graus, 2009–2025
* “real”, in Dicionário infopédia da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2025
* “real”, in Michaelis Dicionário Brasileiro da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), São Paulo: Editora Melhoramentos, 2015–2025
* “real”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2025

## Romanian
### Etymology

Borrowed from French réel, German real, both from Late Latin reālis (“real, actual”), from Latin rēs (“matter, thing”).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: [reˈal]
* Audio:(file)

### Adjective

real m or n (feminine singular reală, masculine plural reali, feminine and neuter plural reale)
* real
    Antonym: nereal

#### Related terms

* realitate

#### See also

* adevărat

### Further reading

* real in DEX online—Dicționare ale limbii române (Dictionaries of the Romanian language)
* Romanian vocabulary. In: Haspelmath, M. & Tadmor, U. (eds.) World Loanword Database. Leipzig: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology.

## Spanish
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /reˈal/ [reˈal]
* Audio (Colombia):(file)
* Rhymes: -al
* Syllabification: re‧al

### Etymology 1

Borrowed from Late Latin reālis (“actual”), from Latin rēs (“matter, thing”).

#### Adjective

real m or f (masculine and feminine plural reales)
* real
    Synonyms: verdadero, existente
    Antonym: irreal

#### Noun

real m (plural reales)
* (colloquial) true friend, best friend

##### Derived terms

* acción real
* derecho real
* imagen real
* mundo real
* número real
* palmera real
* realidad
* realismo
* realista
* realizar
* vida real

### Etymology 2

Inherited from Latin rēgālis (“regal, royal”), from rēx. Cognate with English regal and royal.

#### Adjective

real m or f (masculine and feminine plural reales)
* royal, regal
    Synonym: regio
    Antonym: plebeyo

#### Noun

real m (plural reales)
* real (unit of currency)
* (Spain, historical, colloquial) a quarter of a peseta

##### Derived terms

* acción real
* águila real
* ánade real
* asentar los reales
* búho real
* camino real
* cañada real
* casa real
* chinchilla real
* cobra real
* escalera real
* garza real
* impuesto real
* jalea real
* levantar el real
* manjar real
* manzanilla real
* Marcha Real
* oficial real
* pagaza real
* pava real
* pavo real
* pinzón real
* pito real
* por cuatro reales
* por real decreto
* real de agua
* real de minas
* real de plata
* real de vellón
* real decreto
* real orden
* salvia real de México
* tablas reales
* zorzal real

##### Related terms

* rey

##### Descendants

* → Arabic: ريال (riyāl)
** Gulf Arabic: ريال (ryāl)
** → Malagasy: ariary
*** → English: ariary
** → Persian: ریال (riyâl)
** → Swahili: riali
* → Irish: réal
* → Italian: reale
** → Ottoman Turkish: ریال, اریال
*** Turkish: riyal

### Further reading

* “real”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10

## Swedish
### Adjective

real (not comparable)
* objective, real, pertaining to real and physical objects

#### Declension

$^1$ The indefinite superlative forms are only used in the predicative. $^2$ Dated or archaic. $^3$ Only used, optionally, to refer to things whose natural gender is masculine.

#### Synonyms

* saklig

### Noun

real c
* Clipping of realskola.
* Clipping of realskoleexamen.
* real (currency of Brazil and formerly Portugal)

#### Declension
### References

* real in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)

### Anagrams

* lera

## Tagalog
### Alternative forms

* reyal

### Pronunciation

* (Standard Tagalog) IPA: /ɾeˈal/ [ɾɛˈal]
* Rhymes: -al
* Syllabification: re‧al

### Etymology 1

Borrowed from Spanish real, from Late Latin reālis (“actual”), from Latin rēs (“matter, thing”).

#### Adjective

reál (Baybayin spelling ᜇᜒᜌᜎ᜔)
* true; real; genuine
    Synonyms: tunay, totoo
* main (of a street)

##### Related terms

* realidad
* realisa
* realismo
* realismong sosyalista
* realista
* realistiko
* republika

### Etymology 2

Borrowed from Spanish real, from Latin rēgālis (“regal, royal”), from rēx.

#### Noun

reál (Baybayin spelling ᜇᜒᜌᜎ᜔)
* real (unit of currency)

#### Adjective

reál (Baybayin spelling ᜇᜒᜌᜎ᜔)
* royal (used in certain expressions)

#### Related terms

* birey
* reyno

### Further reading

* “real”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, Manila, 2018
* “real”, in Pinoy Dictionary, 2010–2025