adj · adv · name · noun · 35 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
rēl
rēəl
Australian, Received-Pronunciation:/ɹiːl/
Australian, Received-Pronunciation:/ˈɹiː.əl/
Australian, Received-Pronunciation:/ɹɪl/
Australian, Received-Pronunciation:[ɹɪɫ]
British, Southern, Standard:/ɹɪj(ə)l/
British, Southern, Standard:[ɹɪj(ə)ɫ]
SSBRecorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Canada, US:/ˈɹi.əl/
Canada, US:/ɹil/
Canada, US:/ɹɪl/
Canada, US:[ɹɪɫ]
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Scotland:/ɾil/
Scotland:/ɾi.əl/
Wales:/ɾiːl/
Wales:/ɾiː.əl/
South-Asia:/rɪjəl/
homophone: reel (some accents)
rhymes with -iːəl
rhymes with -iːl
UK:rāäl'
UK:/ɹeɪˈɑːl/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -ɑːl
US:rāäl'
US:/ɹeɪˈɑl/
rhymes with -ɑl
CMU ARPABET:R IY1 L
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
True, genuine, not merely nominal or apparent.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
City hall has its place, but this pub is the real heart of the town.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Genuine, not artificial, counterfeit, or fake.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
This is real leather.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adj
Meaning 3
Genuine, unfeigned, sincere.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
These are real tears!
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
adj
Meaning 4
Actually being, existing, or occurring; not fictitious or imaginary.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
a description of real life
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
adj
Meaning 5
That has objective, physical existence.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
No one has ever seen a real unicorn.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
adj
Meaning 6
Having been adjusted to remove the effects of inflation; measured in purchasing power (contrast nominal).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: economics, sciences
Examples
My dad calculated my family's real consumption per month.
What is the real GNP of this polity?
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
adj
Meaning 7
Relating to the result of the actions of rational agents; relating to neoclassical economic models as opposed to Keynesian models.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: economics, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
8
adj
Meaning 8
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.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: mathematics, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
9
adj
Meaning 9
Relating to immovable tangible property.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: law
Examples
real estate; real property
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
10
adj
Meaning 10
Absolute, complete, utter.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
This is a real problem.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
11
adj
Meaning 11
Signifying meritorious qualities or actions, especially with regard to genuineness, groundedness, and true success rather than poser imitations of success.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: slang
Examples
I'm keeping it real.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
12
adj
Meaning 12
Signifying meritorious qualities or actions, especially with regard to genuineness, groundedness, and true success rather than poser imitations of success.
Firm through directness, readiness to confront.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: slang
Examples
yo, Imma be real with u... don't ever text me again
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
13
adv
Meaning 13
Really; very.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: US, colloquial, not-comparable
Examples
When I told him the truth, he got real mad.
Se looked at me real strange.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
14
name
Meaning 14
Real Madrid, a football club from Madrid.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *(H)reh1-der. Proto-Indo-European *(H)reh1ís Proto-Italic *reis Classical Latin rēs Proto-Indo-European *h2el-der.? Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālis Late Latin reālisder. Old French reelbor. Middle English real 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 realis.
Borrowed from Spanish real (“royal”), from Latin rēgālis (“regal, royal”). Doublet of ariary, regal, riyal, and royal.
From Portuguese real (“royal”), from Latin rēgālis (“regal; royal”). Doublet of ariary, regal, riyal, and royal.
Across languages
Translations
372 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Amharic:
እውነተኛ
(ʾəwnätäña)
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Arabic:
حَقِيقِيّ
(ḥaqīqiyy)
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Arabic:
وَاقِعِيّ
(wāqiʕiyy)
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Arabic:
حَقيقي
(ḥagīgi)
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Arabic:
واقعي
(wāqiʕi)
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Armenian:
իրական
(irakan)
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Assamese:
আচল
(asol)
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Azerbaijani:
həqiqi
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Azerbaijani:
əsl
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Azerbaijani:
real
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Bashkir:
ысын
(ısın)
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Belarusian:
сапра́ўдны
(sapráwdny)
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Belarusian:
рэа́льны
(reálʹny)
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Bulgarian:
действи́телен
(dejstvítelen)
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Bulgarian:
и́стински
(ístinski)
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Bulgarian:
реа́лен
(reálen)
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Burmese:
စစ်
(cac)
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Burmese:
အစစ်
(a.cac)
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Catalan:
real
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Catalan:
ver
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Catalan:
veritable
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Chinese Mandarin:
真的
(zhēn de)
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Chinese Mandarin:
真實的 /真实的
(zhēnshí de)
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Czech:
skutečný
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Czech:
reálný
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Danish:
ægte
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Danish:
virkelig
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Dutch:
echt
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Dutch:
waar
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Esperanto:
vera
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Estonian:
tõeline
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Estonian:
päris
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Finnish:
todellinen
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Finnish:
tosi
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
French:
réel
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
French:
vrai
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Galician:
real
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Georgian:
ნამდვილი
(namdvili)
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Georgian:
რეალური
(realuri)
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Georgian:
მართალი
(martali)
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
German:
wahr
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
German:
wirklich
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
German:
echt
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Greek:
αληθινός
(alithinós)
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Ancient Greek:
γνήσιος
(gnḗsios)
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Ancient Greek:
ἀληθινός
(alēthinós)
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Hebrew:
אמיתי
(amití)
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Hebrew:
ממשי
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Hindi:
सच्चा
(saccā)
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Hindi:
असली
(aslī)
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Hindi:
वास्तविक
(vāstavik)
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Hungarian:
igaz
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Hungarian:
valós
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Hungarian:
valódi
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Icelandic:
satt
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Italian:
reale
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Italian:
vero
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Japanese:
現実の
(genjitsu no)
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Japanese:
真実の
(shinjitsu no)
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Kazakh:
нағыз
(nağyz)
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Khmer:
ពិត
(pɨt)
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Korean:
실제(實際)의
(silje-ui)
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Korean:
현실(現實)의
(hyeonsir-ui)
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Korean:
진실(眞實)의
(jinsir-ui)
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Korean:
참
(cham)
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Korean:
진
(jin)
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Lao:
ຈິງ
(ching)
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Latin:
vērus
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Latvian:
reāls
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Latvian:
īstens
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Latvian:
īsts
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Macedonian:
реален
(realen)
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Macedonian:
вистински
(vistinski)
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Macedonian:
стваран
(stvaran)
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Malayalam:
യഥാർത്ഥ
(yathāṟttha)
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Manchu:
ᠶᠠᡵᡤᡳᠶᠠᠨ
(yargiyan)
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Marathi:
वास्तविक
(vāstavik)
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Mongolian:
жинхэнэ
(žinxene)
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Norman:
véthitabl'ye
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Norman:
réel
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Norwegian:
virkelig
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Old English:
sōþ
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Persian:
حقیقی
(haqiqi)
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Polish:
prawdziwy
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Portuguese:
real
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Portuguese:
vero
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Portuguese:
verdadeiro
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Romanian:
real
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Romanian:
adevărat
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Russian:
настоя́щий
(nastojáščij)
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Russian:
и́стинный
(ístinnyj)
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Russian:
действи́тельный
(dejstvítelʹnyj)
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Russian:
реа́льный
(reálʹnyj)
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Sanskrit:
वास्तविक
(vāstavika)
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Sanskrit:
सत्य
(satya)
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Serbo-Croatian:
ства̑ран
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Serbo-Croatian:
ре̏а̄лан
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Serbo-Croatian:
stvȃran
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Serbo-Croatian:
rȅālan
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Slovak:
skutočný
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Slovak:
reálny
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Slovene:
resničen
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Slovene:
realen
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Spanish:
real
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Spanish:
verdadero
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Spanish:
auténtico
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Spanish:
vero
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Swedish:
sann
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Swedish:
verklig
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Tagalog:
tunay
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Tagalog:
totoo
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Tajik:
ҳақиқӣ
(haqiqi)
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Telugu:
నిజమైన
(nijamaina)
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Telugu:
అసలు
(asalu)
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Thai:
จริง
(jing)
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Turkish:
doğru
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Turkish:
hakiki
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Ottoman Turkish:
كرچك
(gerçek)
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Tuvan:
ёзулуг
(yozulug)
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Ukrainian:
спра́вжній
(správžnij)
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Ukrainian:
ді́йсний
(díjsnyj)
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Ukrainian:
і́стинний
(ístynnyj)
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Ukrainian:
реа́льний
(reálʹnyj)
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Vietnamese:
thật
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Vietnamese:
thiệt
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Vietnamese:
thực
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Volapük:
jenöfik
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Yiddish:
אמתדיק
(emesdik)
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Yiddish:
רעאַל
(real)
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Yiddish:
עכט
(ekht)
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Zazaki:
rast (diq)
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Zazaki:
heqiqi
— true, genuine, not merely nominal
Azerbaijani:
həqiqi
— genuine, not artificial, counterfeit or fake
Bulgarian:
автентичен
(avtentičen)
— genuine, not artificial, counterfeit or fake
Bulgarian:
истински
(istinski)
— genuine, not artificial, counterfeit or fake
Dutch:
echt
— genuine, not artificial, counterfeit or fake
Esperanto:
aŭtenta
— genuine, not artificial, counterfeit or fake
Estonian:
tõeline
— genuine, not artificial, counterfeit or fake
Estonian:
ehtne
— genuine, not artificial, counterfeit or fake
Estonian:
päris
— genuine, not artificial, counterfeit or fake
Finnish:
aito
— genuine, not artificial, counterfeit or fake
Finnish:
ehta
— genuine, not artificial, counterfeit or fake
French:
vrai
— genuine, not artificial, counterfeit or fake
German:
echt
— genuine, not artificial, counterfeit or fake
German:
wirklich
— genuine, not artificial, counterfeit or fake
Greek:
αυθεντικός
(afthentikós)
— genuine, not artificial, counterfeit or fake
Ancient Greek:
γνήσιος
(gnḗsios)
— genuine, not artificial, counterfeit or fake
Ancient Greek:
ἀληθινός
(alēthinós)
— genuine, not artificial, counterfeit or fake
Hindi:
सच्चा
(saccā)
— genuine, not artificial, counterfeit or fake
Hindi:
खरा
(kharā)
— genuine, not artificial, counterfeit or fake
Hungarian:
valódi
— genuine, not artificial, counterfeit or fake
Italian:
vero
— genuine, not artificial, counterfeit or fake
Japanese:
本物の
(honmono no)
— genuine, not artificial, counterfeit or fake
Kazakh:
нағыз
(nağyz)
— genuine, not artificial, counterfeit or fake
Korean:
진짜(眞)의
(jinjja-ui)
— genuine, not artificial, counterfeit or fake
Korean:
진품(眞品)의
(jinpum-ui)
— genuine, not artificial, counterfeit or fake
Korean:
진
(jin)
— genuine, not artificial, counterfeit or fake
Latvian:
īsts
— genuine, not artificial, counterfeit or fake
Latvian:
īstens
— genuine, not artificial, counterfeit or fake
Latvian:
reāls
— genuine, not artificial, counterfeit or fake
Malayalam:
യഥാർത്ഥ
(yathāṟttha)
— genuine, not artificial, counterfeit or fake
Portuguese:
real
— genuine, not artificial, counterfeit or fake
Romanian:
real
— genuine, not artificial, counterfeit or fake
Romanian:
adevărat
— genuine, not artificial, counterfeit or fake
Russian:
настоя́щий
(nastojáščij)
— genuine, not artificial, counterfeit or fake
Serbo-Croatian:
pravi
— genuine, not artificial, counterfeit or fake
Swedish:
riktig
— genuine, not artificial, counterfeit or fake
Swedish:
verklig
— genuine, not artificial, counterfeit or fake
Swedish:
äkta
— genuine, not artificial, counterfeit or fake
Turkish:
hakiki
— genuine, not artificial, counterfeit or fake
Turkish:
gerçek
— genuine, not artificial, counterfeit or fake
Ottoman Turkish:
كرچك
(gerçek)
— genuine, not artificial, counterfeit or fake
Yiddish:
עכט
(ekht)
— genuine, not artificial, counterfeit or fake