What does "reality" mean?
The state of being actual or real; realness.
Reality
/ɹiːˈælɪti/ name, noun
name, noun ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The state of being actual or real; realness.
- Grammar: reality is listed as name, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: actuality, truth, accomplished fact, actual.
- Useful contrasts: ancient civilization myths, biblical flood myth, biological concept.
- Usage evidence: You should make your ideas correspond with reality.
How to use "reality"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "reality" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "reality" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "reality" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "reality" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "reality" is acting as name, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "actuality" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "reality", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The state of being actual or real; realness. uncountable, usually
"The reality of the crash scene on TV dawned upon him only when he saw the victim was no actor but his friend."
- 2 the quality possessed by something that is real wordnet
- 3 The real world. uncountable, usually
"A man very often fancies that he understands a critic, when in reality he does not comprehend his meaning."
- 4 all of your experiences that determine how things appear to you wordnet
- 5 A real entity, event, or other fact. uncountable, usually
"The ultimate reality of life is that it ends in death."
Show 7 more definitions
- 6 the state of being actual or real wordnet
- 7 The entirety of all that is real. uncountable, usually
"Across the entire Universe. Never stopping, never faltering, never fading. People and planets and stars will become dust. And the dust will become atoms and the atoms will become... nothing. And the wavelength will continue, breaking through the rift at the heart of the Medusa Cascade into every dimension, every parallel, every single corner of creation. This is my ultimate victory, Doctor! The DESTRUCTION! Of REALITY! ITSELF!"
- 8 the state of the world as it really is rather than as you might want it to be wordnet
- 9 An individual observer's own subjective perception of that which is real. uncountable, usually
- 10 Loyalty; devotion. obsolete, uncountable, usually
"To express our reality to the emperor."
- 11 Realty; real estate. obsolete, uncountable, usually
- 12 Reality television. attributive, uncountable, usually
"a foray into reality programming"
Proper Noun
- 1 A female given name from English.
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
ancient civilization mythsbiblical flood mythbiological conceptbiological mimicry
Example
"You should make your ideas correspond with reality."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "reality"?
Common synonyms include: actuality, truth, accomplished fact, actual, actualities, actuality.
How do you use "reality" in a sentence?
You should make your ideas correspond with reality.
How do you pronounce "reality"?
Pronounced /ɹiːˈælɪti/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From French réalité (“quality of being real”), from Middle French realité (“property, possession”), from Medieval Latin reālitās, from Late Latin reālis (“real”), equivalent to real + -ity. Recorded since 1550 as a legal term in the sense of “fixed property” (compare real estate, realty); the sense “real existence” is attested from 1647. First attested in c. 1540.
Etymology 2
From reality.