What does realness mean?
Realness is the noun corresponding to the adjective real. Its principal meaning is the quality of being genuine, actual, or convincing rather than imagined, simulated, or deceptive. People may speak of the realness of a performance, a portrait, a memory, or a place, especially when these seem unusually vivid, authentic, or lifelike. In philosophical contexts, realness can also mean actual existence, as in questions concerning the realness of the external world. The word often carries an abstract or reflective tone and is more literary than straightforward terms such as reality or authenticity. It can also be used critically, as when a claim's realness is questioned. Although grammatically countable, realness is normally treated as an uncountable concept and is rarely seen in the plural.
nounThe quality of being real or genuine, especially as opposed to something imagined, simulated, or deceptive.
- The quality of being real, genuine, or authentic, especially as opposed to something imagined, simulated, or deceptive.
- The state or condition of being real; actual existence.
"The startling realism of the painting gives the landscape an almost unsettling sense of realness."
"The documentary's power comes from the realness of the lives it records."
"Doubts about the realness of the world have long occupied philosophers."
The plural is grammatically formed but uncommon; realness is normally used as an uncountable noun.
"The production used practical effects to create several different realnesses within the same scene."
Realness captures what is at stake when something is not merely convincing but genuinely present, true, or authentic.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does realness come from?
Realness was formed in English by adding the suffix -ness to real. Real came into Middle English from Anglo-French reel or real and ultimately from Late Latin realis, meaning actual rather than merely apparent or supposed. The Latin family is based on res, meaning thing, and includes related English words such as reality, realistic, realize, and realism.
How realness is actually used
The word is somewhat literary and abstract in everyday use. It often conveys authenticity or substance and may appear in philosophical, artistic, or reflective contexts.
Easily confused with realness
Realness usually means the quality or impression of being real or genuine, whereas reality more often denotes the state of actual existence or the world as it is.