reality

[ree-al-i-tee] /riˈæl ɪ ti/
noun, plural realities for 3, 5–7.
1.
the state or quality of being real.
2.
resemblance to what is real.
3.
a real thing or fact.
4.
real things, facts, or events taken as a whole; state of affairs:
the reality of the business world; vacationing to escape reality.
5.
Philosophy.
  1. something that exists independently of ideas concerning it.
  2. something that exists independently of all other things and from which all other things derive.
6.
something that is real.
7.
something that constitutes a real or actual thing, as distinguished from something that is merely apparent.
adjective
8.
noting or pertaining to a TV program or film that portrays nonactors interacting or competing with each other in real but contrived situations, allegedly without a script:
a popular reality show; reality TV.
Idioms
9.
in reality, in fact or truth; actually:
brave in appearance, but in reality a coward.
Origin
1540-50; < Medieval Latin reālitās. See real1, -ity
Related forms
antireality, adjective
nonreality, noun, plural nonrealities.
proreality, noun
Examples from the web for reality
  • Moving from concept to reality, however, required an archaeological dig of sorts.
  • But this equilibrium remains always an idea that reality can never completely reach.
  • The blue zenith is the point in which romance and reality meet.
  • They lack sharpness of outline, finesse, and that sense of reality which makes of a tale an actual piece of human life.
  • They want projected shadows of life, which are vaster than reality and bolder in outline, though less searching.
  • The only reality is the individual, and all knowledge is derived from experience.
  • In the first place, it can be compared with the reality.
  • They indicate a different aspect-the moral aspect-of reality.
  • But it would be wrong to underestimate the psychic reality so completely in comparison to the practical reality.
  • We seem to have rather a growing number of augmented reality browsers.
British Dictionary definitions for reality

reality

/rɪˈælɪtɪ/
noun (pl) -ties
1.
the state of things as they are or appear to be, rather than as one might wish them to be
2.
something that is real
3.
the state of being real
4.
(philosophy)
  1. that which exists, independent of human awareness
  2. the totality of facts as they are independent of human awareness of them See also conceptualism Compare appearance (sense 6)
5.
in reality, actually; in fact
Word Origin and History for reality
n.

1540s, "quality of being real," from French réalité and directly Medieval Latin realitatem (nominative realitas), from Late Latin realis (see real (adj.)). Meaning "real existence, all that is real" is from 1640s; that of "the real state (of something)" is from 1680s. Sometimes 17c.-18c. also meaning "sincerity." Reality-based attested from 1960. Reality television from 1991.

reality in Medicine

reality re·al·i·ty (rē-āl'ĭ-tē)
n.

  1. The quality or state of being actual or true.

  2. The totality of all things possessing actuality, existence, or essence.

  3. That which exists objectively and in fact.