Definition: Reality

Etymology

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); the sense "real existence" is attested from 1647. First attested in c. 1540.

Noun

reality (usually uncountable, plural realities)

1. The state of being actual or real; realness.

   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 real world.
3. A real entity, event or other fact.

   The ultimate reality of life is that it ends in death.

4. The entirety of all that is real.
5. An individual observer's own subjective perception of that which is real.
6. (broadcasting) Reality television.

   She had a foray into reality programming.

Related terms

• realism
• realization
• realize

Credits

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