The difference between Real and Sham

When used as nouns, real means a commodity, whereas sham means a fake.

When used as adjectives, real means true, genuine, not merely nominal or apparent, whereas sham means intended to deceive.


Real is also adverb with the meaning: really, very.

Sham is also verb with the meaning: to deceive, cheat, lie.

check bellow for the other definitions of Real and Sham

  1. Real as an adjective:

    True, genuine, not merely nominal or apparent.

  2. Real as an adjective:

    Genuine, not artificial, counterfeit, or fake.

    Examples:

    "This is real leather."

  3. Real as an adjective:

    Genuine, unfeigned, sincere.

    Examples:

    "These are real tears!"

  4. Real as an adjective:

    Actually being, existing, or occurring; not fictitious or imaginary.

    Examples:

    "a description of real life"

  5. Real as an adjective:

    That has objective, physical existence.

    Examples:

    "No one has ever seen a real unicorn."

  6. Real as an adjective (economics):

    Having been adjusted to remove the effects of inflation; measured in purchasing power .

    Examples:

    "My dad calculated my family's real consumption per month."

    "What is the real GNP of this polity?"

  7. Real as an adjective (economics):

    Relating to the result of the actions of rational agents; relating to neoclassical economic models as opposed to Keynesian models.

  8. Real as an adjective (mathematics, of a number):

    Being either a rational number, or the limit of a convergent infinite sequence of rational numbers: being one of a set of numbers with a one-to-one correspondence to the points on a line.

  9. Real as an adjective (legal):

    Relating to immovable tangible property.

    Examples:

    "[[real estate]]; [[real property]]"

  10. Real as an adjective:

    Absolute, complete, utter.

    Examples:

    "This is a real problem."

  11. Real as an adjective (slang):

    Examples:

    "I'm keeping it real."

  1. Real as an adverb (US, colloquial):

    Really, very.

  1. Real as a noun:

    A commodity; see realty.

  2. Real as a noun (grammar):

    One of the three genders that the common gender can be separated into in the Scandinavian languages.

  3. Real as a noun (mathematics):

    A real number.

  4. Real as a noun (obsolete):

    A realist.

    Examples:

    "rfquotek Burton"

  1. Real as a noun:

    Former unit of currency of Spain and Spain's colonies.

  2. Real as a noun:

    A coin worth one real.

  1. Real as a noun:

    A unit of currency used in Portugal and its colonies from 1430 until 1911, and in Brazil from 1790 until 1942.

  2. Real as a noun:

    A coin worth one real.

  1. Sham as an adjective:

    Intended to deceive; false.

    Examples:

    "It was only a sham wedding: they didn't care much for one another, but wanted their parents to stop hassling them."

  2. Sham as an adjective:

    counterfeit; unreal

  1. Sham as a noun:

    A fake; an imitation that purports to be genuine.

    Examples:

    "The time-share deal was a sham."

  2. Sham as a noun:

    Trickery, hoaxing.

    Examples:

    "A con-man must be skilled in the arts of sham and deceit."

  3. Sham as a noun:

    A false front, or removable ornamental covering.

  4. Sham as a noun:

    A decorative cover for a pillow.

  1. Sham as a verb:

    To deceive, cheat, lie.

  2. Sham as a verb:

    To obtrude by fraud or imposition.

  3. Sham as a verb:

    To assume the manner and character of; to imitate; to ape; to feign.