Imaginary vs. Real — What's the Difference?

Existing only in the imagination

Actually existing as a thing or occurring in fact; not imagined or supposed

(of a number or quantity) expressed in terms of the square root of a negative number (usually the square root of −1, represented by i or j).

(of a thing) not imitation or artificial; genuine

Having existence only in the imagination; unreal.

Complete; utter (used for emphasis)

Of or being the coefficient of the imaginary unit in a complex number.

Adjusted for changes in the value of money; assessed by purchasing power

Of, involving, or being an imaginary number.

(of a number or quantity) having no imaginary part.

Involving only a complex number of which the real part is zero.

(of an image) of a kind in which the light that forms it actually passes through it; not virtual.

An imaginary number.

Really; very

Existing only in the imagination.

The basic monetary unit of Brazil since 1994, equal to 100 centavos.

Having no real part; that part of a complex number which is a multiple of $\backslash sqrt\{-1\}$ (called imaginary unit).

Being or occurring in fact or actuality; having verifiable existence

Imagination; fancy.

True and actual; not imaginary, alleged, or ideal

(mathematics) An imaginary quantity.

Of or founded on practical matters and concerns

(sociology) The set of values, institutions, laws, and symbols common to a particular social group and the corresponding society through which people imagine their social whole.

Genuine and authentic; not artificial or spurious

Existing only in imagination or fancy; not real; fancied; visionary; ideal.

Being no less than what is stated; worthy of the name

An imaginary expression or quantity.

Free of pretense, falsehood, or affectation

Not based on fact; dubious;

Not to be taken lightly; serious

(Philosophy) Existing objectively in the world regardless of subjectivity or conventions of thought or language.

Relating to, being, or having value reckoned by actual purchasing power

(Physics) Of, relating to, or being an image formed by light rays that converge in space.

(Mathematics) Of, relating to, or being a real number.

(Law) Of or relating to stationary or fixed property, such as buildings or land.

Very

A thing or whole having actual existence. Often used with the

(Mathematics) A real number.

A silver coin formerly used in Spain and Latin America.

A unit of currency formerly used in Portugal.

See Table at currency.

True, genuine, not merely nominal or apparent.

Genuine, not artificial, counterfeit, or fake.

Genuine, unfeigned, sincere.

Actually being, existing, or occurring; not fictitious or imaginary.

That has objective, physical existence.

(economics) Having been adjusted to remove the effects of inflation; measured in purchasing power contrast nominal.

(economics) Relating to the result of the actions of rational agents; relating to neoclassical economic models as opposed to Keynesian models.

Being either a rational number, or the limit of a convergent infinite sequence of rational numbers: being one of a set of numbers with a one-to-one correspondence to the points on a line.

(legal) Relating to immovable tangible property.

Absolute, complete, utter.

(slang) Signifying meritorious qualities or actions especially as regard the enjoyment of life, prowess at sports, or success wooing potential partners.

Really, very.

A commodity; see realty.

(grammar) One of the three genders that the common gender can be separated into in the Scandinavian languages.

(mathematics) A real number.

(obsolete) A realist.

Former unit of currency of Spain and Spain's colonies.

A coin worth one real.

A unit of currency used in Portugal and its colonies from 1430 until 1911, and in Brazil from 1790 until 1942.

A coin worth one real.

A unit of currency used in Brazil since 1994. Symbol: R$.

A coin worth one real.

A former small Spanish silver coin; also, a denomination of money of account, formerly the unit of the Spanish monetary system.

A realist.

Royal; regal; kingly.

Actually being or existing; not fictitious or imaginary; as, a description of real life.

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

Relating to things, not to persons.

Having an assignable arithmetical or numerical value or meaning; not imaginary.

Pertaining to things fixed, permanent, or immovable, as to lands and tenements; as, real property, in distinction from personal or movable property.

Any rational or irrational number

An old small silver Spanish coin

Being or occurring in fact or actuality; having verified existence; not illusory;

No less than what is stated; worthy of the name;

Being or reflecting the essential or genuine character of something;

Not synthetic or spurious; of real or natural origin;

Not to be taken lightly;

Possible to be treated as fact;

Being value measured in terms of purchasing power;

Having substance or capable of being treated as fact; not imaginary;

(of property) fixed or immovable;

Coinciding with reality;

Founded on practical matters;

Used as intensifiers; `real' is sometimes used informally for `really'; `rattling' is informal;