as in illusion
a conception or image created by the imagination and having no objective reality
a sci-fi author who seems to have preferred the unrealities of his own fiction to the realities of the world about him
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unreality
Through its official media, ISIS stoked support around the world for its vivid unreality—the Salafi jihadist utopia—and presented a comprehensive and exactingly consistent picture of what life there was supposedly like.
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Charlie Winter, Foreign Affairs, 31 Jan. 2017
Yes, the unreality of Penelope’s fable-like frequency can be discombobulating; seasoned outdoors enthusiasts and Alone heads will probably pull their hair out at the lack of realistic detail.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 4 Oct. 2024
Some kinds of hallucination, various psychedelic hallucinations among them, combine a sense of unreality with perceptual vividness, as does lucid dreaming.
—Anil K. Seth, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 2019
Biden’s Presidency may have offered a measure of stability and sanity to those reeling from the unreality of the Trump years, but his reëlection campaign did not.
—Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 7 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for unreality 
Charlie Winter, Foreign Affairs, 31 Jan. 2017
Yes, the unreality of Penelope’s fable-like frequency can be discombobulating; seasoned outdoors enthusiasts and Alone heads will probably pull their hair out at the lack of realistic detail.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 4 Oct. 2024
Some kinds of hallucination, various psychedelic hallucinations among them, combine a sense of unreality with perceptual vividness, as does lucid dreaming.
—Anil K. Seth, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 2019
Biden’s Presidency may have offered a measure of stability and sanity to those reeling from the unreality of the Trump years, but his reëlection campaign did not.
—Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 7 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for unreality
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unreality
Noun
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This ‘80s silhouette, which cinches at the waist but leaves volume across the shoulders and flares at the hip, creates the illusion of an exaggerated hourglass figure, immediately adding shape back into Jenner’s otherwise loose-fitting ensemble.—
Emily Tannenbaum,
Glamour,
27 Jan. 2025
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This lack of day-to-day oversight allows Starfleet to preserve the illusion of plausible deniability.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
24 Jan. 2025
Noun
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During the latest Chinese New Year, Alibaba’s fantasy Creation of the Gods II: Demon Force delivered $7.6 million in box office on Imax screens, and Bona’s naval drama Operation Hadal added another $2.7 million in takings for the giant screen theater network in China.—
Etan Vlessing,
The Hollywood Reporter,
5 Feb. 2025
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Plot details are currently being kept under wraps, but the film is described as a fantasy dance drama set in the vibrant city of Tokyo.—
Katcy Stephan,
Variety,
5 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Playing with Los Angeles has been a fulfillment of a lifelong dream.—
Fabian Ardaya,
The Athletic,
2 Feb. 2025
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Now Mission: Impossible actress Hayley Atwell has shared that her co-star and producer was also fulfilling a lifelong dream.—
Caroline Frost,
Deadline,
2 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Of course, by the end of the 1930s, the Nazi conquest of Europe had driven a dramatic swing in U.S. public opinion away from Borah’s isolationist daydream.—
Mitch McConnell,
Foreign Affairs,
16 Dec. 2024
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She was startled out of her reverie—a strange erotic daydream, flesh without body, warmth without a face.—
Lauren Groff,
The New Yorker,
8 Dec. 2024
Noun
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In a moment of delusion, Simon cooks up a scheme to get Wei-Tung married and secure their friend Wei-Wei a green card.—
Sadie Collins,
Them,
24 Jan. 2025
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Being able to make tactical adjustments or create a match environment that the stronger opponent doesn’t enjoy is one thing; when that isn’t possible, maintaining self-belief often tips towards delusion.—
Charlie Eccleshare,
The Athletic,
22 Jan. 2025
Noun
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And only a few months earlier Netanyahu had lauded another vision for Gaza, to turn it into a massive free-trade zone with a rail link to Saudi Arabia’s futuristic dream city, Neom.—
Nic Robertson,
CNN,
5 Feb. 2025
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McAndrews, who wrote her master’s thesis on rape revenge films, quickly understood Alvey’s fresh vision.—
William Earl,
Variety,
5 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near unreality
Cite this Entry
“Unreality.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unreality. Accessed 10 Feb. 2025.
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