different between reality vs phony

English

Etymology

[circa 1540] From French réalité (“quality of being real”), from Middle French realité (“property, possession”), from Medieval Latin re?lit?s, from Late Latin re?lis (“real”), equivalent to real +? -ity. Recorded since 1550 as a legal term in the sense of “fixed property” (compare real estate, realty); the sense “real existence” is attested from 1647.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?i?æl?ti/, /?i?æl?ti/
• Rhymes: -æl?ti

Noun

reality (usually uncountable, plural realities)

1. The state of being actual or real.

   • A man very often fancies that he understands a critic, when in reality he does not comprehend his meaning.
2. A real entity, event or other fact.
   • 1770, James Beattie, Essay on the Nature and Immutability of Truth

     My neck, Sir, may be an idea to you, but to me it is a reality.
3. The entirety of all that is real.
4. An individual observer's own subjective perception of that which is real.
5. (obsolete) Loyalty; devotion.
   • 1642, Thomas Fuller, The Holy State and the Profane State

     To express our reality to the emperor.

6. (law, obsolete) Realty; real estate.

Synonyms

• truth
• actuality

Antonyms

• fantasy

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Usage notes

Adjectives that collocate with reality include: harsh; stark; brutal; grim; bitter

Further reading

• reality on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• irately, tearily

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from English reality. Doublet of realidad.

Noun

reality m (plural realities or realitys)

1. (television) reality show

   Synonym: reality show

English

Alternative forms

• phoney (British)

Etymology

Perhaps an alteration of fawney (“gilt brass ring used by swindlers”) (1781), from Irish fáinne (“ring”).

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /?fo?ni/
• Rhymes: -??ni

Adjective

phony (comparative phonier, superlative phoniest)

1. (informal) Fraudulent; fake; having a misleading appearance.

Synonyms

• (fraudulent): bogus, counterfeit, fake
• See also Thesaurus:fake

Antonyms

• authentic
• genuine

Derived terms

• phoniness
• phoneyness
• phony as a three-dollar bill

Translations

Noun

phony (plural phonies)

1. (informal) A person who assumes an identity or quality other than their own.

2. (informal) A person who professes beliefs or opinions that they do not hold.

3. (informal) Anything fraudulent or fake.
   • 2013, John E. Douglas, Ann W. Burgess, Allen G. Burgess, Crime Classification Manual (page 131)

     One name was a phony, but the other was the true name. The clerk remembered the man who had filed the tags since he acquired two sets of plates with different names.

Synonyms

• (faker): dissembler, pretender, fake, faker

Derived terms

• phony up, phoney up
• Phony War, Phoney War

Translations

Verb

phony (third-person singular simple present phonies, present participle phonying, simple past and past participle phonied)

1. To fake.

Anagrams

• hypno-