Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary - reality

(realities) Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English. 1. You use reality to refer to real things or the real nature of things rather than imagined, invented, or theoretical ideas. Fiction and reality were increasingly blurred... N-UNCOUNT see also virtual reality 2. The reality of a situation is the truth about it, especially when it is unpleasant or difficult to deal with. ...the harsh reality of top international competition... N-COUNT: usu the N of n 3. You say that something has become a reality when it actually exists or is actually happening. ...the whole procedure that made this book become a reality... N-SING 4. You can use in reality to introduce a statement about the real nature of something, when it contrasts with something incorrect that has just been described. He came across as streetwise, but in reality he was not. PHRASE: PHR with cl