1
real
/ˈriːjəl/
adjective
Britannica Dictionary definition of REAL
1
:
actually existing or happening
:
not imaginary
-
The movie is based on real events.
-
The detective Sherlock Holmes is not a real person.
-
He has no real power; he is just a figurehead.
-
The battle scenes in the movie seemed very real to me.
-
The team has a real chance at winning.
-
There is a very real possibility that we will be moving to Maine.
-
In real life, relationships are not perfect.
-
The actor looks taller on TV than he does in real life.
-
I finally got to talk to a real live person [=an actual person] instead of a machine.
-
He's always daydreaming and seems to be out of touch with the real world.
-
Their son finally went out into the real world [=the world where people have to work, deal with daily problems, etc.] and got a job.
2
:
not fake, false, or artificial
3
:
important and deserving to be regarded or treated in a serious way
-
This is a very real problem/danger/concern.
-
They have avoided talking about the real issues.
-
There is no real reason to worry.
4
always used before a noun
—
used for emphasis
5
:
strong and sincere
-
I have no real interest in sports. [=I'm not very interested in sports]
-
He made a real effort to improve his grades.
-
There was a look of real [=genuine] astonishment on her face.
-
She showed real delight/happiness when I told her the good news.
6
always used before a noun,
finance
:
measured by what money can actually buy at a particular time
for real
informal
2
US
b
:
genuinely good, skillful, etc.
3
:
seriously or truly
-
He's in trouble for real. [=he's really in trouble]
-
They were just pretending to argue before, but now they're doing it for real.
get real
informal
:
to start to think in a serious or reasonable way
:
to stop having foolish ideas, hopes, etc.
keep it real
informal
:
to talk and behave in an honest and serious way that shows who you really are
the real deal
—
see 3deal
the real McCoy
—
see mccoy
the real thing
—
see thing
— realness
noun
[noncount]
2
real
/ˈriːjəl/
adverb
Britannica Dictionary definition of REAL
chiefly US, informal