unreality

noun

un·​re·​al·​i·​ty ˌən-rē-ˈa-lə-tē 

1

a

: the quality or state of being unreal : lack of substance or validity

the unreality of a dream

b

: something unreal, insubstantial, or visionary : figment

When we find ourselves fading into shadows and unrealities, it seems hardly worthwhile to be sad …

—Nathaniel Hawthorne

2

: ineptitude in dealing with reality

… the unreality of the ivory-tower attitude …

—Leslie Rees

Synonyms of unreality

• illusion
• dream
• fantasy
• daydream
• vision
• delusion

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

To hear about a mass shooting in another city is to feel one is at the periphery of ongoing history; but perversely, to live near the site of a shooting is to feel nothing has changed except that unreality has come closer. —Karan Mahajan, New Yorker, 15 Dec. 2025

In giving each of its characters new foils, the unreality of the show finally takes off. —Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 24 Nov. 2025

Yet even as Pym stalked him, slept with him, and pined after him, there was an element of unreality in her ardor, Harvey recalled. —Literary Hub, 17 Nov. 2025

The cringing mortifications and unsettling unreality make the series a tough sit. —Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 11 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1744, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for unreality

• abnormality
• cardinality
• commonality
• communality
• cordiality
• corporeality
• criminality
• criticality
• functionality
• generality
• geniality
• hospitality

Kids Definition

unreality

noun

un·​re·​al·​i·​ty ˌən-rē-ˈal-ət-ē 

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