Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Real \Re"al\, n. [Sp., fr. real royal, L. regalis. See {Regal},
   and cf. {Ree} a coin.]
   A small Spanish silver coin; also, a denomination of money of
   account, formerly the unit of the Spanish monetary system.

   Note: A real of plate (coin) varied in value according to the
         time of its coinage, from 121/2 down to 10 cents, or
         from 61/2 to 5 pence sterling. The real vellon, or
         money of account, was nearly equal to five cents, or
         21/2 pence sterling. In 1871 the coinage of Spain was
         assimilated to that of the Latin Union, of which the
         franc is the unit.

Real \Re"al\, n.
   A realist. [Obs.] --Burton.

Real \Re*al"\, a.
   Royal; regal; kingly. [Obs.] ``The blood real of Thebes.''
   --Chaucer.

Real \Re"al\, a. [LL. realis, fr. L. res, rei, a thing: cf. F.
   r['e]el. Cf. {Rebus}.]
   1. Actually being or existing; not fictitious or imaginary;
      as, a description of real life.

            Whereat I waked, and found Before mine eyes all
            real, as the dream Had lively shadowed. --Milton.

   2. True; genuine; not artificial; counterfeit, or factitious;
      often opposed to ostensible; as, the real reason; real
      Madeira wine; real ginger.

Source : WordNet®

real
     adj 1: being or occurring in fact or actuality; having verified
            existence; not illusory; "real objects"; "real people;
            not ghosts"; "a film based on real life"; "a real
            illness"; "real humility"; "Life is real! Life is
            earnest!"- Longfellow [syn: {existent}] [ant: {unreal}]
     2: no less than what is stated; worthy of the name; "the real
        reason"; "real war"; "a real friend"; "a real woman";
        "meat and potatoes--I call that a real meal"; "it's time
        he had a real job"; "it's no penny-ante job--he's making
        real money" [syn: {real(a)}] [ant: {unreal}]
     3: being or reflecting the essential or genuine character of
        something; "her actual motive"; "a literal solitude like a
        desert"- G.K.Chesterton; "a genuine dilemma" [syn: {actual},
         {genuine}, {literal}]
     4: not synthetic or spurious; of real or natural origin; "real
        mink"; "true gold" [syn: {true}]
     5: not to be taken lightly; "statistics demonstrate that
        poverty and unemployment are very real problems"; "to the
        man sleeping regularly in doorways homelessness is real"
     6: possible to be treated as fact; "tangible evidence"; "his
        brief time as Prime Minister brought few real benefits to
        the poor" [syn: {tangible}]
     7: being value measured in terms of purchasing power; "real
        prices"; "real income"; "real wages" [ant: {nominal}]
     8: having substance or capable of being treated as fact; not
        imaginary; "the substantial world"; "a mere dream, neither
        substantial nor practical"; "most ponderous and
        substantial things"- Shakespeare [syn: {substantial}, {material}]
        [ant: {insubstantial}]
     9: (of property) fixed or immovable; "real property consists of
        land and buildings; real estate"
     10: coinciding with reality; "perceptual error...has a
         surprising resemblance to veridical perception"-
         F.A.Olafson [syn: {veridical}]
     11: founded on practical matters; "a recent graduate
         experiencing the real world for the first time"
     [also: {reis} (pl), {reales} (pl)]

real
     n 1: any rational or irrational number [syn: {real number}]
     2: an old small silver Spanish coin
     [also: {reis} (pl), {reales} (pl)]

real
     adv : used as intensifiers; `real' is sometimes used informally
           for `really'; `rattling' is informal; "she was very
           gifted"; "he played very well"; "a really enjoyable
           evening"; "I'm real sorry about it"; "a rattling good
           yarn" [syn: {very}, {really}, {rattling}]
     [also: {reis} (pl), {reales} (pl)]

Source : Free On-Line Dictionary of Computing

real
     
        1. Not simulated.  Often used as a specific antonym to
        {virtual} in any of its jargon senses.
     
        2.  {real number}.
     
        [{Jargon File}]
     
        (1997-03-12)