re·al¹ (rḗəl, rēl)

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[Middle English, from Old French, from Late Latin reālis, from Latin rēs, thing.]

adjective 

1. 1. Being or occurring in fact or actuality; having verifiable existence: real objects; a real illness.
   2. True and actual; not imaginary, alleged, or ideal: real people, not ghosts; a film based on real life.
   3. Of or founded on practical matters and concerns: a recent graduate experiencing the real world for the first time.
2. Genuine and authentic; not artificial or spurious: real mink; real humility.
3. Being no less than what is stated; worthy of the name: a real friend.
4. Free of pretense, falsehood, or affectation: tourists hoping for a real experience on the guided tour.
5. Not to be taken lightly; serious: in real trouble.
6. Philosophy Existing objectively in the world regardless of subjectivity or conventions of thought or language.
7. Relating to, being, or having value reckoned by actual purchasing power: real income; real growth.
8. Physics Of, relating to, or being an image formed by light rays that converge in space.
9. Mathematics Of, relating to, or being a real number.
10. Law Of or relating to stationary or fixed property, such as buildings or land.

adverb 

Very: I'm real sorry about that.

noun 

1. A thing or whole having actual existence. Often used with the: theories beyond the realm of the real.
2. Mathematics A real number.

idioms

for real

Truly so in fact or actuality: “Is this place for real? A wolf in a … leisure suit and a cow in a print dress wait patiently on the couch in the lobby” (Teresa Carson)

derivatives

reaĺness

noun

synonyms:

real¹actual, true, existent These adjectives mean not being imaginary but having verifiable existence. Real implies authenticity, genuineness, or factuality: Don't lose the bracelet; it's made of real gold. She showed real sympathy for my predicament. Actual means existing and not merely potential or possible: “rocks, trees … theworld” (Henry David Thoreau) True implies consistency with fact, reality, or actuality: “It is undesirable to believe a proposition when there is no ground whatever for supposing it true” (Bertrand Russell) Existent applies to what has life or being: Much of the beluga caviar existent in the world is found near the Caspian Sea.

See also: authentic

re·al² (rā-äĺ)

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[Spanish, royal, real, from Latin rēgālis, royal, from rēx, rēg-, king.]

noun: pl., -als or -al·es (-ä́lĕs) 

A silver coin formerly used in Spain and Latin America.

re·al³ (rā-äĺ)

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[Portuguese, royal, real, from Latin rēgālis, royal; see real².]

noun: pl., re·ais (-īsh́) 

1. A monetary unit formerly used in Portugal.
2. A basic unit of currency in Brazil.