Real Madrid Club de Fútbol, commonly known as Real Madrid or simply Real, is a professional association football club based in Madrid, Spain, that competes in La Liga, the top division of Spanish football.[1] Founded on 6 March 1902 as Madrid Football Club by a group of enthusiasts led by Juan Padrós, the club received its royal patronage and the "Real" designation from King Alfonso XIII in 1920, reflecting its alignment with monarchical traditions.[2][3] Playing home games at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, Real Madrid has amassed a record 36 La Liga titles and a record 15 UEFA Champions League triumphs, establishing it as the most successful club in European football history by major honours.[1][4] These achievements, spanning eras of dominance under figures like Santiago Bernabéu and modern "Galácticos" strategies, have cemented its global fanbase exceeding 500 million and annual revenues surpassing €800 million, though the club has faced scrutiny over financial practices and political associations during Franco's regime.[1][5]
Philosophy
The Real
In metaphysics, the real refers to the objective domain of existence that operates independently of human perception, cognition, language, or conceptual frameworks, positing a mind-independent reality governed by causal mechanisms discernible through empirical observation.[6] This conception aligns with metaphysical realism, which asserts that entities, properties, and relations possess an intrinsic structure unaltered by subjective interpretation, contrasting with anti-realist views that subordinate reality to mental constructs or linguistic conventions.[7] Empirical validation of such independence is evident in phenomena like gravitational attraction, where the force between masses persists regardless of belief, as quantified by Henry Cavendish's 1798 torsion balance experiment, which measured the gravitational constant at approximately 6.75 × 10^{-11} N m²/kg² using lead spheres of 158 kg and 0.73 kg separated by about 0.23 m, yielding deflections confirming universal applicability.[8][9]Pre-Socratic philosophers initiated inquiry into the real by seeking the underlying physis—the natural, self-emergent principles of the cosmos—prioritizing rational explanation over mythological accounts, as seen in Thales' proposal of water as the primary substance and Heraclitus' emphasis on flux governed by logos.[10]Aristotle advanced this through hylomorphic realism, identifying primary substances as concrete, empirical individuals (e.g., this particular horse or tree) composed of matter and form, existing as the fundamental units of reality that underpin predication and change, rather than abstract universals detached from observation.[11] His approach rejected Platonic idealism's separation of forms from sensible particulars, grounding ontology in observable causal interactions, such as a seed actualizing potential into a mature plant via inherent teleology.[12]Critiques of nominalism and social constructivism highlight the real's resistance to reduction as mere convention; for instance, biological sex in humans manifests as a binary determined by anisogamy—small gametes (sperm) versus large gametes (ova)—anchored in genetic mechanisms like the SRY gene on the Y chromosome, which triggers male development in 46,XY individuals, with disorders of sexual development representing developmental anomalies rather than a spectrum negating the dimorphism observed across species.[13][14] Claims of sex or gender as purely socially constructed falter against physiological evidence, including chromosomal dimorphism (XX vs. XY in over 99.98% of humans) and reproductive incompatibility, underscoring causal realism over interpretive relativism.[15] Twentieth-century formulations, such as Jacques Lacan's "Real" as the unassimilable excess beyond symbolic and imaginary orders, introduce psychoanalytic layers but remain speculative compared to first-principles empiricism, which favors direct causal inference from data over interpretive triangulation.[16] Postmodern relativism, often amplified in biased academic discourses, further diverges by privileging narrative over verifiable ontology, yet fails to account for invariant physical laws operative pre- and post-human cognition.[17]
Mathematics and science
Real numbers
The real numbers form a complete ordered field that extends the rational numbers to include irrational numbers, providing a continuum suitable for modeling continuous quantities observed in nature and physics. Unlike the rationals, which fail to capture certain lengths such as the diagonal of a unit square, the reals fill these gaps; for instance, the square root of 2, proven irrational by contradiction in ancient Greece around the 5th century BCE by members of the Pythagorean school, demonstrates the incompleteness of rationals under ordering.[18] Formal constructions of the reals emerged in the late 19th century: Richard Dedekind defined them in 1872 via cuts in the rationals, partitioning sets to represent all Dedekind-complete points, while Georg Cantor used equivalence classes of Cauchy sequences of rationals, building on Augustin's earlier notion of convergence from 1821.[19] These approaches ensure the reals are the unique (up to isomorphism) ordered field satisfying the least upper bound property.The defining property of the real numbers is their completeness axiom: every nonempty subset bounded above has a least upper bound in the reals, enabling the existence of limits, suprema, and infima essential for analysis./01%3A_Tools_for_Analysis/1.05%3A_The_Completeness_Axiom_for_the_Real_Numbers) This distinguishes them from the rationals, where gaps persist, and underpins calculus by guaranteeing convergence of sequences and series. In set theory, Cantor's work in the 1870s, culminating in his 1873 proof that the reals are uncountable with cardinality $2^{\aleph_0} greater than that of the naturals, revealed the reals' transfinite structure, contrasting with the countable rationals and establishing the continuum's distinct infinity.[20]The real numbers form the foundation of real analysis, as seen in Bernhard Riemann's 1854 definition of the integral via upper and lower sums over partitions of intervals, which relies on completeness to ensure integrability for bounded functions with discontinuities of measure zero.[21] In physics, they model continuous variables in differential equations, such as Newton's second law F = m \frac{d^2x}{dt^2} for trajectories, where solutions exist in real-valued function spaces to predict observable paths without gaps in spacetime approximations.[22]Intuitionist critiques, led by L. E. J. Brouwer from the early 1900s, reject non-constructive proofs in classical real analysis, such as those using the law of excluded middle, arguing that real numbers should arise only from finite mental constructions or choice sequences, rendering the full continuum non-denumerable in a verifiable sense.[23] However, classical reals prevail in empirical applications due to their predictive accuracy in scientific modeling, where finitist or intuitionistic alternatives lack equivalent rigor for handling limits in causal systems like quantum field theory or general relativity, with no constructivist framework yet matching the reals' utility in verifiable physical predictions.
Currencies
Brazilian real
The Brazilian real (BRL; Portuguese: real brasileiro) is the fiat currency of Brazil, serving as legal tender since its introduction on July 1, 1994, under the Plano Real economic stabilization program implemented during President Itamar Franco's administration.[24][25] This initiative replaced the preceding cruzeiro real at an exchange ratio of 1 real to 2,750 cruzeiro reais, addressing chronic hyperinflation that had eroded prior currencies through unchecked fiscal deficits and monetary expansion.[26] Initially anchored to the U.S. dollar at parity via a crawling peg mechanism, the real enforced monetary discipline by linking domestic prices to international benchmarks, thereby breaking the inflationary spiral driven by indexation and fiscal profligacy; annual inflation, which exceeded 2,900% in 1990 according to official consumer price indices, fell to 1.6% by 1998.[27][24]The currency's exchange rate regime evolved amid external pressures, transitioning from the dollar peg to a managed float on January 15, 1999, following speculative attacks and capital outflows that depleted reserves during the Russian financial crisis contagion.[28] This shift prioritized market-determined rates over fixed anchors, though with central bank interventions to mitigate volatility. Complementary reforms bolstered institutional safeguards, including the 2021 Complementary Law No. 179, which granted the Central Bank of Brazil operational and budgetary autonomy with a mandate for price stability, insulating monetary policy from short-term political cycles and electoral spending pressures.[29]Stabilization under the real facilitated economic expansion, with real GDP growth reaching 7.5% in 2010 amid commodity booms and improved investor confidence.[30] Yet vulnerabilities emerged from commodity dependence and renewed fiscal laxity, culminating in the 2014-2016 recession—characterized by a 3.8% cumulative GDP contraction—exacerbated by expansionary policies, rising public debt, and efficiency drags rather than solely external shocks.[31][32] The real depreciated sharply during this period, with the USD/BRL rate surging over 50% from mid-2014 levels amid investor flight and policy uncertainty, highlighting the limits of interventionist approaches in sustaining real (inflation-adjusted) competitiveness over nominal exchange rate fixes favored in some fiscalist narratives.[33][34] Subsequent volatility through 2020, including further devaluations tied to domestic fiscal imbalances, underscored the need for sustained fiscal restraint to underpin long-term stability.[35]
Historical reals
The Spanish real, a silver coin first minted in 1497 under Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile, served as a foundational unit in the monetary system of the emerging Spanish Empire. With a standard weight of 3.4 grams at 0.931 fineness, yielding approximately 3.17 grams of pure silver per coin, it facilitated reliable exchange due to its fixed metallic content, contrasting with later debasements in non-commodity currencies. This coin became integral to transatlantic and global trade, circulating widely in the Americas through the 19th century and influencing the design of the U.S. dollar via its relation to the Joachimsthaler (thaler).[36]In international commerce, multiples of the real—particularly the 8-real piece (Spanish dollar)—powered Spanish mercantile networks, including the Manila galleons that transported silver from Mexican and Peruvian mines to Asian markets between 1565 and 1815, enabling the exchange of commodities like Chinese silk for American silver and establishing early global price arbitrage. Empirical records indicate that silver-based reals maintained relative purchasing power stability over centuries, with silver's long-term value preserving wealth against productivity-driven price adjustments, unlike fiat systems where average annual inflation has exceeded 9% in modern samples.[36][37]The Portuguese real, introduced around 1430 as a replacement for the dinheiro at a rate of 1 real equaling 3.5 dinheiros, originated as a silver or billon denomination tied to precious metal reserves, supporting Portugal's 15th-century maritime expansion. Though successive debasements reduced its silver content—e.g., to billon alloys by the late medieval period—its initial commodity linkage empirically anchored value to tangible assets, avoiding the unchecked expansions seen in unbacked paper regimes.[38][39]Colonial variants, such as the Cape Verdean real used until 1914, mirrored the Portuguese unit at parity, relying on imported Portuguese silver and billon coins without local minting until the escudo's adoption at 1 escudo = 1,000 réis. Transitions from these metallic standards to fiat currencies historically correlated with accelerated value erosion, as detachment from scarce commodities removed discipline against over-issuance, evidenced by silver's multigenerational purchasing power retention versus fiat's post-1971 U.S. dollar depreciation of over 98% in real terms.[40][41][42]
Sports
Africa
AS Real Bamako, a professional football club based in Bamako, Mali, competes in the Malian Première Division, the top tier of Malian football. Founded in the mid-1960s, the club has established itself as one of Mali's most successful teams, securing 7 league titles and 10 Malian Cup victories, records that underscore its dominance in domestic competitions despite the league's intermittent disruptions from national instability.[43]The club has ventured into continental play, including participation in the CAF Confederation Cup during the 2022–23 season, where it advanced to the group stage before exiting, highlighting both potential and the structural barriers faced by West African clubs, such as limited funding and infrastructure deficits common in under-resourced confederation tournaments. AS Real Bamako has contributed to talent development, notably nurturing early career players like Salif Keïta, who transitioned from the club to European leagues and earned recognition as Africa's premier footballer in the late 1960s, though broader community impacts remain constrained by Mali's economic challenges and rare progression to advanced African Cup of Nations stages.[43]Other African clubs incorporating "Real" include Real Sport FC of Benin, which participates in the Benin Premier League and focuses on local youth academies amid the country's modest football ecosystem, and Olympic Real de Bangui in the Central African Republic, a lower-division side operating in a federation plagued by civil unrest that hampers consistent competition. These teams reflect the aspirational adoption of "Real"—denoting "royal" prestige—in postcolonial Africanfootball naming conventions, yet empirical data shows limited continental success, with domestic leagues prioritizing survival over sustained excellence due to chronic underinvestment.[44]
Central and South America
Real Estelí FC, based in Estelí, Nicaragua, was founded in 1960 and has emerged as one of the country's most dominant clubs in the Liga Primera de Nicaragua. The team has secured multiple national championships, including victories in the 2022/2023 Apertura and Clausura seasons, contributing to a tally of at least 13 league titles as of 2023. Internationally, Real Estelí has qualified for the CONCACAF Champions Cup on numerous occasions, achieving its first win in the competition on February 8, 2024, with a 2-1 victory over Mexico's Club América in the first leg of the first round. Despite these domestic successes, the club's international performances have been limited by Nicaragua's smaller football infrastructure, with early exits in CONCACAF tournaments highlighting resource disparities compared to wealthier regional rivals.In Honduras, Club Deportivo Real España, established in San Pedro Sula on July 14, 1929, stands as a foundational club with 12 Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional titles, including four Apertura and one Clausura crown. The team has also claimed two UNCAF Nations Cup club titles and reached semifinals in the CONCACAF League in 2022, alongside a Centroamerican title in 2020. These accomplishments underscore Real España's status among Honduras's elite, yet persistent challenges such as inconsistent funding and domestic competition intensity have prevented sustained continental breakthroughs, often resulting in group-stage eliminations in broader CONCACAF events.Real Potosí, from the high-altitude city of Potosí, Bolivia (at 4,090 meters elevation), was formed in 1988 and has competed in the División Profesional since promotion. The club won the 2007 Apertura tournament, securing Copa Libertadores qualification, and participated in the competition six times between 2002 and 2012, including group-stage finishes in 2008 but no quarterfinal advancements. Home altitude provides a tactical edge—opponents frequently struggle with oxygen deprivation—but away form suffers, contributing to a modest overall record of 91 wins, 46 draws, and 164 losses in top-flight seasons from 2014 to 2021. Economic volatility in Bolivia's mining-dependent region exacerbates player turnover and infrastructure limitations, contrasting sharply with the financial stability enabling European "Real" clubs' global dominance, and underscoring how regional causal factors like geography and market size constrain long-term competitiveness.
Europe
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol, founded on March 6, 1902, in Madrid, Spain, stands as Europe's most successful football club by major trophies, with 15 UEFA Champions League titles as of the 2023–24 season victory over Borussia Dortmund on June 1, 2024.[45][1] The club's dominance includes five consecutive European Cup wins from 1956 to 1960 under Alfredo Di Stéfano, and a resurgence in the 2010s–2020s with three titles in 2016–2018, followed by wins in 2022 and 2024, driven by strategic recruitment during the "Galácticos" eras emphasizing high-profile signings like Zinedine Zidane and Cristiano Ronaldo.[46] Despite these on-pitch successes, Real Madrid faced financial scrutiny in the 2020s, including a €1.2 billion loan for the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium renovation secured at below 3% interest, contributing to transfer debt rising to €144 million by 2023–24 amid high wage and spending levels, though offset by record €1.185 billion revenue in 2024–25 and minimal net debt of €12 million excluding stadium financing.[47][48]The rivalry with FC Barcelona, known as El Clásico, exemplifies competitive intensity, with Real Madrid holding a narrow all-time edge of 106 wins to Barcelona's 104 across 262 official matches as of October 2025, alongside 52 draws, where outcomes correlate with squad quality metrics like goals scored (Madrid 442, Barcelona 431).[49] This fixture, contested since 1929, has produced pivotal results influencing league titles, such as Madrid's 2–1 victory on October 26, 2025, extending their La Liga lead, grounded in tactical disparities rather than extraneous narratives.[50]Other Spanish clubs bearing the "Real" designation include Real Sociedad de Fútbol, established in 1909 in San Sebastián as one of La Liga's founding members, which secured two consecutive league titles in 1980–81 and 1981–82, alongside three Copa del Rey triumphs in 1909, 1962, and 1987, reflecting Basque regional strength without European silverware.[51] In Portugal, Real Sport Clube, formed in 1951 near Lisbon and competing in Liga 3 as of 2025, maintains historical presence in lower tiers with no major national or continental honors, underscoring the term "Real" (meaning "royal" in Spanish/Portuguese) as a nod to monarchical patronage common in Iberian football nomenclature since the early 20th century.[52]
United States
Real Salt Lake, a professional men's soccer club based in Sandy, Utah, joined Major League Soccer (MLS) as an expansion franchise in 2005, marking the league's efforts to expand westward. The team, owned by David Checketts at inception and later by the Smith Entertainment Group, plays home matches at America First Field, a soccer-specific stadium completed in 2008 with a capacity of approximately 20,000. Real Salt Lake's branding draws from Spanish nomenclature, akin to European clubs like Real Madrid, reflecting Utah's growing Hispanic population and soccer enthusiasm.[53]The club's primary achievement came in 2009, when it captured the MLS Cup by defeating the Los Angeles Galaxy 5-4 in a penalty shootout following a 1-1 draw, securing its sole league championship to date. Real Salt Lake advanced to the MLS Cup final again in 2013, falling 3-2 in extra time to Sporting Kansas City, but has made the playoffs in 14 of its 20 seasons through 2024, demonstrating consistent competitiveness in the Western Conference. The team has also qualified for the CONCACAF Champions Cup multiple times, reaching the quarterfinals in 2011.[54][53]In the broader U.S. sports landscape, Real Salt Lake exemplifies soccer's niche status amid dominant leagues like the NFL and NBA, where average attendances exceed 60,000 and 18,000 respectively, compared to MLS's league-wide figure of 23,234 in 2024. The club's average home attendance hovered around 19,775 during the 2024-25 season, bolstered by local fan support but constrained by soccer's secondary popularity and competition from basketball and football in the Intermountain West. Revenue challenges persist, with MLS teams collectively generating about $2 billion annually as of 2023, though individual club figures like Real Salt Lake's remain modest relative to top-tier U.S. franchises, limiting infrastructure investments without league subsidies or sponsorships.[55][56]
People
Individuals surnamed Real
Manuel Lawrence Real (January 27, 1924 – June 26, 2019) was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Central District of California.[57] Born in San Pedro, California, he earned a Bachelor of Science from the University of Southern California in 1944 and a Bachelor of Laws from Loyola Law School in 1948.[58] After private practice and serving as United States Attorney for the Southern District of California from 1964 to 1966, Real was nominated by President Lyndon B. Johnson on September 8, 1966, and confirmed by the Senate on October 20, 1966, receiving his commission the same day.[57] He served as chief judge from 1993 to 1994 and took senior status on November 4, 2018, while remaining active until his death, making him the longest-serving active federal judge in U.S. history with over 52 years on the bench.[59]Real presided over significant cases, including efforts to desegregate schools in Southern California during the 1970s, where his rulings advanced integration in districts like those in Los Angeles County despite resistance from local authorities.[60] However, his tenure was marked by repeated allegations of judicial misconduct, including abusive treatment of litigants, attorneys, and witnesses; arbitrary rulings; and improper personal involvement in cases.[61] In a notable 2000 incident, Real revoked the probation of litigant Sharon Ryer in a bankruptcy-related unlawful detainer action after she had filed complaints against him, sentencing her to 63 months in prison for what critics described as minor violations tied to his personal intervention, prompting later reversals and investigations.[62] The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals overturned several of his decisions, including a 2009 acquittal of a state corrections officer convicted of assault.[63]Real faced formal scrutiny, including a 2006 public reprimand by the Ninth Circuit Judicial Council for abusing his authority in handling the Ryer bankruptcy case and related matters, marking a rare disciplinary action against a sitting federal judge.[64] The U.S. House Judiciary Committee held impeachment hearings in 2006 and 2007 over these and other abuses, such as his 2000 takeover of a state court eviction proceeding and conflicts of interest, but no impeachment vote occurred despite recommendations from judicial panels.[65] Critics, including legal scholars and bar associations, argued his conduct undermined public confidence in the judiciary, yet institutional protections for Article III judges prevented removal short of impeachment.[61] Real died at age 95 in Rancho Palos Verdes, California.[57]
Places
Geographical locations named Real
Real is a municipality located in the Ribera Alta comarca of the Valencian Community, Spain, with coordinates approximately at 39°02′N 0°40′W.[66] Traditionally known as Real de Montroi, its name derives from the Spanish term "real," meaning royal, reflecting historical royal privileges or designations common in Iberian toponymy from Latin regalis.[67] The municipality covers 18.32 km² and had a population of 2,435 inhabitants as of January 1, 2024, according to data from Spain's National Institute of Statistics (INE).[68][69] Its economy centers on agriculture, particularly citrus production, and local services, typical of small Valencian inland communities.Real County is a rural county in the Edwards Plateau region of Texas, United States, bordering the Frio River and encompassing about 699 square miles.[70] Established by the Texas Legislature on April 3, 1913, from portions of Edwards, Bandera, and Kerr counties, it was named in honor of Julius Real (1860–1944), a state senator and businessman of German descent whose surname traces to Spanish origins meaning "royal."[71][70] The county seat is Leakey, and as of the 2023 population estimate, it had 2,821 residents, reflecting a decline from 3,322 in 2010 due to outmigration and an aging demographic, with over 30% aged 65 or older.[72][73] Economic activities include ranching, tourism along the Frio River for fishing and camping, and limited hunting outfitters, supported by its proximity to the Hill Country.[70] The county's sparse population density—around 4 persons per square mile—and karsttopography contribute to groundwater-dependent agriculture and vulnerability to droughts.[74]
Media
Albums
Real is the fifth studio album by American singer Belinda Carlisle, released on September 29, 1993, by Virgin Records, featuring a pop rock sound with influences from adult contemporary.[75] The album included singles such as "Big Scary Animal" and "Too Much Water," but achieved modest commercial success, peaking outside the top 100 on major charts and receiving mixed reviews for its polished production amid Carlisle's transition from 1980s hits.[76]Real, the fourth studio album by Puerto Rican reggaeton artist Ivy Queen, was released on November 21, 2004, by Universal Music Latino, marking a pivotal release in the genre's mainstream rise with tracks blending hip hop, reggae, and Latin rhythms.[77] Featuring collaborations and production emphasizing Queen's lyrical style on themes of empowerment, it contributed to her status as a reggaeton pioneer, though specific sales figures remain undisclosed; critics noted its role in solidifying the genre's commercial viability despite debates over its artistic depth relative to underground roots.[78]In 2025, Nigerian-American singer Blessing Offor released Real, his sophomore album on August 8 via Sparrow Records/Capitol Christian Music Group, comprising 16 tracks of pop-soul and contemporary Christian music spanning 50 minutes.[79] Grammy-nominated Offor drew from personal experiences of pain and joy, with singles like "Lift Me Up" and "The Morning" highlighting uplifting themes; the album garnered positive reception for its emotional authenticity and vocal delivery, earning a 4.6/5 rating in reviews praising its radiant production while critiquing occasional formulaic elements in faith-based pop.[80][81]
Songs
"Real" is a song by American rapper NF, released on April 22, 2016, as part of his second studio album Therapy Session.[82] The track explores themes of authenticity and mental struggle, with NF rapping about the pressures of fame and personal vulnerability, stating in interviews that it reflects his desire to remain genuine amid industry expectations. It peaked at number 70 on the Billboard Hot 100 and has amassed over 100 million streams on Spotify as of 2023, contributing to the album's certification of platinum by the RIAA for sales exceeding one million units.Another prominent track titled "Real" is by American rapper Kendrick Lamar, featuring Anna Wise, released on July 2, 2011, from his debut album Section.80.[83] The song delves into Lamar's definition of authenticity, emphasizing family responsibility, morality, and faith, with lyrics asserting "Real is taking care of your family" as a core principle derived from his Compton upbringing.[84] It received critical acclaim for its introspective lyricism, influencing discussions on hip-hop's portrayal of street credibility versus personal ethics, though some critics noted its dense production potentially overshadowing the message. The track has garnered over 50 million Spotify streams and inspired covers by independent artists, underscoring its enduring appeal in conscious rap circles.[83]Lesser-known entries include "Real" by British singer-songwriter The Japanese House from her 2017 EP Saw You in a Dream, which features ethereal production and lyrics on fleeting relationships, achieving modest streaming success with around 10 million plays on Spotify. Its minimalist arrangement drew praise for evoking emotional realism but criticism for lacking commercial hooks, limiting broader impact. These tracks collectively highlight "Real" as a title evoking genuineness across genres, though empirical data shows hip-hop iterations dominating cultural resonance via higher engagement metrics.
Films
Real (2013) is a Japanese science fiction drama film directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa, based on a novel by Rokurō Inui.[85] The plot centers on neurosurgeon Koichi Tamura, who uses an experimental technique called "autonomous neurotransmission" to enter the subconscious mind of his girlfriend Atsumi, who lies in a coma after a suicide attempt, in order to uncover the truth behind her condition.[85] Starring Takeru Satoh as Koichi and Haruka Ayase as Atsumi, the film explores themes of reality, perception, and psychological trauma through dream-like sequences.[85] It premiered at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival and received mixed reviews, with a 57% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on seven critic reviews, praising its atmospheric tension but critiquing narrative incoherence.[86] Box office performance was modest, aligning with Kurosawa's arthouse output rather than commercial success.[87]Real (2017) is a South Korean neo-noir action thriller directed by Lee Sa-rang, marking his feature debut.[88] The story follows Jang Tae-yeong, a criminal aiming to develop an illegal casino in Seoul, who becomes entangled in paranoia when a mysterious figure begins mimicking his every action, blurring lines between reality and hallucination amid threats from gangsters and authorities.[88]Kim Soo-hyun stars as Tae-yeong, with supporting roles by Sung Dong-il, Lee Sung-min, and the late Sulli.[88] Released on June 28, 2017, it opened strongly with the highest initial week box office for a Korean film that year but ultimately underperformed, grossing approximately $3 million worldwide and attracting 470,195 viewers in South Korea against an 11.5 billion KRW budget, qualifying as a commercial flop.[89][90] Critics lambasted its convoluted non-linear plot and execution, with an IMDb rating of 4.6/10 and descriptions as one of the weaker entries in Korean cinema, though some noted strong action visuals.[88]Real (2019) is a Britishdrama written and directed by Aki Omoshaybi in his feature debut, produced on a micro-budget of £50,000.[91] The narrative depicts the romance between two working-class individuals in Portsmouth navigating personal hardships, including family pressures and emotional vulnerabilities, to sustain their relationship.[92] Omoshaybi stars alongside Pippa Bennett-Warner, emphasizing authentic portrayals of modern love's struggles.[92] Premiering at the 2019 LondonFilm Festival, it earned a perfect 100% on Rotten Tomatoes from ten reviews, lauded for its heartfelt realism and taut direction despite limited resources.[93] Box office earnings were negligible at around $3,568 internationally, reflecting its independent status over mainstream appeal.[94]
Television stations
Real Madrid TV is the official free-to-airdigital television channel operated by Real Madrid Club de Fútbol, dedicated to broadcasting club news, training sessions, interviews, historical documentaries, and select matches not subject to exclusive broadcasting rights.[95] The channel initially launched as a premium cable and satellite service before expanding to broader digital accessibility, including online streaming via the club's app and website.[96] Its programming emphasizes club heritage and current events, often featuring multilingual content to reach global audiences, though it has drawn criticism for biased commentary favoring the team, such as extended segments alleging refereeing irregularities in La Liga matches.[97]Real TV was a syndicated Americanreality television series that aired from September 9, 1996, to September 7, 2001, presenting viewer-submitted and amateur footage of dramatic real-life incidents including rescues, accidents, and escapes. The program pioneered a format focused on unscripted, high-impact clips, often with graphic elements that prioritized shock value over context, leading to critiques of sensationalism and exploitation of tragedy for entertainment.[98] Distributed across local stations via syndication, it contributed to the early 1990s surge in reality programming but lacked centralized network affiliation, relying on independent station clearances for reach.The Real is an American syndicated daytime talk show featuring panel discussions on lifestyle, pop culture, and current events, initially tested on Fox Television Stations in select markets before wider distribution starting in 2014. Hosted by a rotating group of female co-hosts, it emphasized candid conversations and celebrity guests, achieving moderate syndication success through Warner Bros. Television.[99] The series ended production in 2022 amid declining linear TV audiences for talk formats, reflecting broader shifts toward streaming, though specific Nielsen metrics highlighted its appeal to women aged 25-54 in urban markets.[100]
Other media
"Real" is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Takehiko Inoue, centering on three young men whose lives intersect through wheelchair basketball following personal tragedies such as accidents and illness. Serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Young Jump magazine from January 1999, it explores themes of resilience, identity, and physical disability with a focus on realistic character portrayals rather than sensationalism. The series has been published in English by Viz Media, with volumes emphasizing Inoue's detailed artwork and narrative depth, earning praise for humanizing athletes with disabilities.[101][102]In literature, "Real" refers to a 2021 middle-grade novel co-authored by Carol Cujec and Peyton Goddard, narrated in first person by Charity, a 13-year-old girl with nonspeaking autism who possesses high intelligence but faces institutionalization and misunderstanding. Published by Shadow Mountain on February 2, 2021, the story is inspired by Goddard's own experiences with cerebral palsy and autism, highlighting systemic barriers to communication for neurodiverse individuals and the potential of alternative methods like spelling boards. It has received positive reviews for promoting empathy and inclusion, with a Goodreads rating of 4.5 from over 1,300 readers, though some critiques note its optimistic resolution may understate real-world challenges.[103][104]
Transportation and vehicles
Named vehicles and routes
La Real was a Spanish galley constructed in 1568 at the Royal Shipyard in Barcelona, measuring approximately 60 meters in length and featuring three masts for sail propulsion alongside oar power from up to 290 rowers.[105] It served as the flagship of Don Juan de Austria, commanding the Holy League's fleet during the Battle of Lepanto on October 7, 1571, where Christian forces decisively defeated the Ottoman navy, capturing or destroying over 200 enemy vessels while suffering significant casualties from close-quarters combat and gunfire.[106] As the largest galley of its time, La Real exemplified advanced Venetian-influenced design with reinforced hulls and multiple artillery decks, contributing to the League's tactical superiority in ramming and boarding maneuvers.[107] A full-scale replica was built in 1971 under naval architect José María Martínez-Hidalgo y Terán to mark the 400th anniversary of Lepanto, preserving the vessel's historical configuration for educational and ceremonial purposes.[106] No other prominent transportation vehicles or routes bear the exact name "Real," though the term's Spanish origin denoting "royal" influenced naval nomenclature in historical fleets.[105]
Other uses
Miscellaneous terms and concepts
Real tennis, also known as royal tennis or court tennis, is an indoor racket-and-ball sport originating from the French game of jeu de paume in the Middle Ages, with roots traceable to hand-ball variants played by ancient civilizations including the Greeks and Romans.[108] The game is played on a specialized indoor court featuring unique architectural elements such as a buttress (tambour), sloping roofs (penthouses), and a grille, which serve as targets and hazards; players score points by striking the ball to land in the opponent's hazard or hit specific openings, with serves requiring a bounce off the penthouse.[109][110] Matches are contested by two players (singles) or four (doubles), using solid, handcrafted balls similar to cricket balls and wooden-frame rackets with asymmetric heads; the rules emphasize chase lines for measuring ball rebounds, and professional play follows standards codified by organizations like the International Real Tennis Professionals' Association (IRTPA), with world championships dating back to the 19th century.[109][110] Though popular among European royalty—Henry VIII of England built courts and played extensively—the sport's global adoption waned after the 16th century with the rise of lawn tennis, leaving approximately 50 active courts worldwide and a player base of around 5,000 as of recent estimates.[108]In TI-BASIC programming for Texas Instruments graphing calculators such as the TI-84 Plus series, "Real" mode configures the device to perform operations exclusively with real numbers, suppressing complex number results even if inputs might otherwise produce them (e.g., square roots of negatives return errors rather than imaginary outputs).[111] This setting, selectable via the MODE menu or invoked programmatically with the Real command, contrasts with complex modes like a+bi or re^θi, ensuring compatibility for applications focused on standard arithmetic without imaginary components; it has been a standard feature since early TI-83/84 models in the late 1990s, aiding educational use in pre-calculus and algebra contexts where complex numbers are not yet introduced.[111] The related real( ) function extracts the real part of a complex number when operating in mixed modes, returning the coefficient of the non-imaginary term.[111]