the real thing

noun

: something that is genuine and not a copy or imitation : something that is truly valuable or important
The diamond turned out to be the real thing.
You've done very well in your training. Let's just hope you're ready for the real thing.

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web The audience doesn’t necessarily need fur on screen to be the real thing. Todd Plummer, Harper's BAZAAR, 8 Apr. 2023 Under it all, though, as one schmaltzy cliché follows another, this becomes more the glorification of beauty than the real thing. Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2023 And while artificial sweeteners may be able to satisfy our taste buds’ initial desires for sugar, a 2022 study indicates that our guts know the difference and communicate to our brains their preference for the real thing. Susan Puckett, CNN, 14 Mar. 2023 There’s nothing like the real thing. Theresa Holland, Peoplemag, 3 Mar. 2023 So why settle for anything but the real thing? IEEE Spectrum, 5 Dec. 2019 The newest fragrance to join the Paco Rabanne family is FAME, a fruity and sweet perfume that manages to smell like the real thing, not replications. Tatjana Freund, ELLE, 31 Mar. 2023 Shaken with lemon juice and—continuing the clean theme—a zero-proof gin alternative, the resulting tipple satisfies just like the real thing. Sarah Karnasiewicz, WSJ, 31 Mar. 2023 There are a few tattoo booths — not airbrush tattoos, the real thing. Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 25 Mar. 2023 See More

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

Dictionary Entries Near the real thing

Cite this Entry

“The real thing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20real%20thing. Accessed 31 May. 2023.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!