realness
realness Lexical Profile
realness Game Scores & Validity
• noun
The state or quality of actually existing or being genuine and authentic rather than artificial, imagined, or pretentious.
"Audiences were drawn to the documentary because of the raw realness of the interviews."
In drag and ballroom culture, the ability to convincingly embody or pass as a particular gender, social class, or archetypal persona.
"The contestant walked the runway in a tailored suit, serving executive realness to the panel of judges."
Word Nuance & Usage
While 'reality' refers to the objective state of things as they actually exist, 'realness' emphasizes the subjective quality of feeling genuine, sincere, or authentic—and in drag and ballroom culture, the ability to convincingly embody a specific role or persona.
• Rhymes for realness
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.