unreality

noun

un·​re·​al·​i·​ty ˌən-rē-ˈa-lə-tē How to pronounce unreality (audio)
1
a
: the quality or state of being unreal : lack of substance or validity
b
: something unreal, insubstantial, or visionary : figment
2
: ineptitude in dealing with reality

Examples of unreality in a Sentence

a sci-fi author who seems to have preferred the unrealities of his own fiction to the realities of the world about him
Recent Examples on the Web There’s an unreality to the beauty here that adds to the fantasy patina. Robyn Bahr, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Mar. 2024 Some might describe the faith that one has in unreality as the belief in God. Merve Emre, The New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2023 Barbie and Ken zip from the unreality of Barbie world by way of a baby-pink sports car that becomes a sailboat, then a spaceship, a tandem bike, a camper, a snowmobile, and, finally, a pair of Day-Glo ’80s Rollerblades delivering them into present-day Venice Beach. Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 7 Feb. 2024 The show has a kind of escalating unreality, an ever-increasing quotient of weirdness, bum notes, AI-like vibes. James Parker, The Atlantic, 19 Jan. 2024 But by that point, the reunion has already taken on a peculiar sadness, a tinge of unreality that only a cruel shock of daylight and the tears on your pillow will be able to explain. Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times, 20 Dec. 2023 Scott’s Napoleon represents a culture of visual frivolity, the depreciation of aesthetics that is a consequence of TV’s overload and digital technology’s unreality. Armond White, National Review, 24 Nov. 2023 Usually, however, reading is fair game, frequently affectionate, and always part of the process by which good drag performances make and unmake gender in real time for their audiences: reading is partially about winning, but partially about an earnest commitment to gender’s fragile unreality. Gabriel N. Rosenberg, The New Republic, 3 Nov. 2023 She was never checked by reality, and this gave more power to her unreality. Rachel Cusk, Harper's Magazine, 10 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unreality.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1744, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of unreality was in 1744

Dictionary Entries Near unreality

Cite this Entry

“Unreality.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unreality. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

unreality

noun
un·​re·​al·​i·​ty ˌən-rē-ˈal-ət-ē How to pronounce unreality (audio)
1
a
: the quality or state of being unreal : nonexistence
an air of unreality about the place
b
: something unreal or imaginary : figment
2
: inability to deal with reality
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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