real
being or occurring in fact or actuality; having verified existence; not illusory
How often you will meet it
Rank 559 of 71,295 words measured. It occurs 34,789 times across 173,643 chapters — 0.017% of every word in the library.
It belongs to the first 1,000 words, the band worth learning before any other.
What it means
adjective
- being or occurring in fact or actuality; having verified existence; not illusory also: existent real objectsreal people; not ghosts
- no less than what is stated; worthy of the name the real reasonreal war
- not to be taken lightly statistics demonstrate that poverty and unemployment are very real problemsto the man sleeping regularly in doorways homelessness is real
- capable of being treated as fact also: tangible tangible evidencehis brief time as Prime Minister brought few real benefits to the poor
- being or reflecting the essential or genuine character of something also: actual, genuine, literal her actual motivea literal solitude like a desert
- of, relating to, or representing an amount that is corrected for inflation real pricesreal income
real in real books
Each sentence below was written by a published author and is taken from a different book in our library. Open one to read the passage it came from, with narration.
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But beauty, real beauty, ends where an intellectual expression begins.
The Picture of Dorian Gray · Oscar Wilde · Chapter 1
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You're no good At bowling that has real "devil" in it.
Punch — Volume 99, August 16, 1890 · Various · Chapter 1
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Is there anything I can do for you, Mr. Brown?--I'm real sorry.
Following the Equator — Part 1 · Mark Twain · Chapter 1
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I wonder whether those painted floors in the green room were real oak.
Actions and reactions · Rudyard Kipling · Chapter 1
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It struck me that he might look natural on a stage, but was strangely out of place in real life.
The Mysterious Affair at Styles · Agatha Christie · Chapter 1