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Webster 1913 Edition


Reality

Re-al′i-ty

(rē̍-ăl′ĭ-ty̆)
,
Noun.
;
pl.
Realities
(-tĭz)
.
[Cf. F.
réalité
, LL.
realitas
. See 3d
Real
, and cf. 2d
Realty
.]
1.
The state or quality of being real; actual being or existence of anything, in distinction from mere appearance; fact.
A man fancies that he understands a critic, when in
reality
he does not comprehend his meaning.
Addison.
2.
That which is real; an actual existence; that which is not imagination, fiction, or pretense; that which has objective existence, and is not merely an idea.
And to
realities
yield all her shows.
Milton.
My neck may be an idea to you, but it is a
reality
to me.
Beattie.
3.
[See 1st
Realty
, 2.]
Loyalty; devotion.
[Obs.]
To express our
reality
to the emperor.
Fuller.
4.
(Law)
See 2d
Realty
, 2.

Webster 1828 Edition


Reality

REAL'ITY

, n.
1.
Actual being or existence of any thing; truth; fact; in distinction from mere appearance.
A man may fancy he understands a critic, when in reality he does not comprehend his meaning.
2.
Something intrinsically important, not merely matter of show.
And to realities yield all her shows.
3.
In the schools, that may exist of itself, or which has a full and absolute being of itself, and is not considered as a part of any thing else.
4.
In law, immobility, or the fixed, permanent nature of property; as chattels which savor of the reality. [This word is so written in law, for reality.]

Definition 2024


reality

reality

English

Noun

reality (usually uncountable, plural realities)

  1. The state of being actual or real.
    The reality of the crash scene on TV dawned upon him only when he saw the victim was no actor but his friend.
    • Joseph Addison (1672-1719)
      A man fancies that he understands a critic, when in reality he does not comprehend his meaning.
    • 1915, George A. Birmingham, chapter I”, in Gossamer (Project Gutenberg; EBook #24394), London: Methuen & Co., published 8 January 2013 (Project Gutenberg version), OCLC 558189256:
      As a political system democracy seems to me extraordinarily foolish, []. My servant is, so far as I am concerned, welcome to as many votes as he can get. [] I do not suppose that it matters much in reality whether laws are made by dukes or cornerboys, but I like, as far as possible, to associate with gentlemen in private life.
    • 2013 June 7, Joseph Stiglitz, Globalisation is about taxes too”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 188, number 26, page 19:
      It is time the international community faced the reality: we have an unmanageable, unfair, distortionary global tax regime. It is a tax system that is pivotal in creating the increasing inequality that marks most advanced countries today [].
  2. A real entity, event or other fact.
    The ultimate reality of life is that it ends in death.
    • John Milton (1608-1674)
      And to realities yield all her shows.
    • James Beattie (1735-1803)
      My neck may be an idea to you, but it is reality to me.
  3. The entirety of all that is real.
  4. An individual observer's own subjective perception of that which is real.
  5. (obsolete) Loyalty; devotion.
    • Thomas Fuller (1606-1661)
      To express our reality to the emperor.
  6. (law, obsolete) Realty; real estate.

Synonyms

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Collocations

  • harsh collocates with reality - The harsh realities of life.


Anagrams


Spanish

Etymology

English

Noun

reality m (plural realities or realitys)

  1. (television) reality show

Synonyms