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First published 1990 (DOST Vol. VII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Real(l, adj.² Also: reale; ryalle. [Late ME (Prompt. Parv.) and e.m.E. real(l, OF real (13th c. in Godef.), late L. reālis f. res a thing.]

1. In law: Having some connection with, relating or referring to things, esp. real property, in contradistinction to persons. (Cf. Personal(l adj. e.).

a. Of possession: Actual; physical.Freq. coupled with actual or corporal.Also, of the action of handing over possession.(1) 1434 Facs. Deed in Gunn Peebles Colleg. Ch.
And wyth a wand … he gave to the said Wilȝame … state ryalle of the said landis wyth the pertinence 1451 Reg. Dunferm. 330.]
[In realem corporalem et actualem possessionem 1477 Peebles B. Rec. I 182.
The forsaid balyeis passit to the alter of the said ille, and gaf to the forsaid Sir Qwhyntyn reall actuall and corporall possession of the said chaplanry 1478 Acta Conc. I 13/1.
Reale 1531 Misc. Bann. C. III 417.
A precep off seissing … for stait & seissing of lyfrent corporall actuall & reall, of … the forsaid landis 1533 Bell. Livy I 12/22.
Antenor, … eftir the expulsioun of Euganis, tuke reall possession of all thare landis & gudis 1549–50 Cupar B. Rec. 10 March.
The said balȝe … put hym in actuale reale and corporall possession of the samyn be tradition of erd & stane 1566 Prot. Bk. W. Cumming 69. 1575 Reg. Privy S. VII 48/2.
Lettiris of admissioun, actuall, reall and corporall possessioun and institutioun of him … in the said personage 1597 Old Ross-shire I 28.
The reall and full possessioun of the said thesaurarie 1599 Prot. Bk. J. Inglis 19 June.
James Moresone … deluerit reall actuall & corporall possessione thairof to … Gilbert Barclay … be staiffe & burgone 1639 Yell Charter in Sc. Hist. Rev. XXI 131.
That … ye pas give stait saisen actual reall and corporall possessioun of all and haill the said eleven merklands [etc.] … to the said Johne 1665 Irvine Deeds 14 Aug.(2) 1639 Berw. Nat. C. XXVI 73.
The said moderator … gave reall and full institutioune to the said Mr. Androw Stevinsone of the same kirk of Dumbar

b. Of actions, rights, etc. Also absol.Sometimes in post-positional use.For further examples see Personal(l adj. e. 1226–7 Reg. Episc. Morav. 82.]
[Et ut hee compositio realis sit et non personalis 1592 Balcarres P. in Mining Rec. 87.
Lyke as we haif the reall actioun of the poinding of the said vre for our dewitie 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. i 18.
Pactions are of twa kinds, some are reall, and others are personall a1633 Hope Major Pract. I 218.
The lords fand ane pension out of ane coall [heuch] reall, and therfor decerned lettres for poynding of the coall Ib. II 73.
In reall actions … the persewar most lybell ane reall enteres, e.g. that he … is heretablie infeft in … the lands 1668 M. P. Brown Suppl. Decis. II 140.
The pursuer answered that it was alike whether the debts were personal or real 1681 Stair Inst. ii i § 1.
Real rights are … the interest which possession giveth or property servitude or pledge Ib. iii §58.
Yet they are real burdens passing with the lands Ib. iii iv § 32.
Actions real, as reductions, declarators, &c. Ib. (1981) 289, etc. 1693 M. P. Brown Suppl. Decis. IV 69.
The Lords found … it [sc. a mortification] was not real, nor of the nature of a servitude to affect the ground 1694 Ib. 179.
The Lords found, seeing the assignation which the Lady Kirkland gave to Mr. William Clerk … to her jointure, was with the express burden of the bond she had given to … her children … , that this made it real … notwithstanding the bond made no specific application to her jointure, but was only a personal obligement upon her 1697 Sermon on Witchcraft in Sc. Hist. Rev. VII 393.
A personal compact … or a reall compact made mediately by mens interventionabsol. a1633 Hope Major Pract. II 222.
The reall ar (e.g.) the exceptions of prescriptione, transaction, compensatione, peyment [etc.]

c. Of revenue or rent. 1685 Edinb. B. Rec. XI 149.
To have ther wholl accompts … of the good touns revenew reall and casuall … in raddines 1689 Hist. Fam. Seton 999.
For collecting his lo. reall and casuall rent

2. Veritable; true; genuine, properly so called, unfeigned. 1535 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 157.
[Which sum shall be paid] with kyndnes and nocht with reall rigur [when John Mithag requires it] 1549 Compl. 117/9.
The Grekis tuke ane real suspetione and ane vehement imaginatione of his coniuratione Ib. 164/10.
The Bibil is ane real probatione that [etc.] c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus iii 629.
We haif reall exemplis of nichtbouris That [etc.] 1640 Mouswald Kirk S. 1 July.
Give they shall give readie and reall obedience efter they are sentenced 1651 Mercurius Scoticus in Scotland & the Commonwealth 339.
We have had many visible and reall services of late performed by some gentlemen, whom they call malignants 1670 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. MS 20 April.
Which report … is ordanit to stand and remaine as ane trew and reall lyning betuixt [etc.] 1673 Edinb. B. Rec. X 153.
Ther is nominat Andrew Hamiltoun maissone Andrew Cassie and John Wright sclaiters for the maissones … as being reall members of the said incorporatione of maissones and of equall privelledges and freedome with them 1697 Sermon on Witchcraft in Sc. Hist. Rev. VII 393.
In the constituting of persons formally a witch, it requires that there be a reall compact between Satan & that person either personally drawn up & made, or mediately by parents immediat or mediat having power of the person

b. Of a person: Open, straightforward, honest. a1658 Durham Blessedness Death (1682) 35.
When folk take more pains to faird and paint their condition over with fair words and shews, then to be reall before God

c. Of money or a (proferred) payment: In cash or coin. 1571 Prot. Bk. A. Millar 8b.
The said James Ker … makis reall offer to him … in nowmerat and tald money 1611 Scrymgeour Invent. 50.
Johnne Scrymgeour … offerit reall payment to Johnne Forbes of Burghis of the sowmes of money quhairupoun the landis of Swnahard ar wedset 1657 Rothesay B. Rec. 16.
Band of wodsett maid … to Johne Glase … ay and quhill the soume … borrouit … ware compleitly payit to him untill the reall payment of the samyn 1660 Ib. 290.
Compeiret John Mure … and … went to the paroche kirk … and upon thair pretendit richt till the lawe wold decide the samyn mak reall consignatioun and numeratioun of the last termes payment containet in the said reversioun being ane hundrethe merks

3. Applied to the actual body and blood of Christ.Also, in real presence, referring to the presence of Christ's body and blood in the Eucharist.(1) a1561 Q. Kennedy Breif Tract. (ed.) 114/15, 16.
Ve ar compellit be thir vordis to sa that Cristis real body and bluid ar contenit in the sacrament or els it vas nocht Cristis real body and bluid quhilk vas giffin and sched for vs Ib. 123/28.
That it vas the very reall body of our saluiour quhilk S. Paul saw in earth efter his ascensione Ib. 125/6.
That Christis veray reall body is in the sacrament and in hevine Ib. 128/9.
Reall Ib. 113/2, etc.(2) a1561 Q. Kennedy Breif Tract. (ed.) 134/20.
Luther as ernistlye as ony man in thir dais settis furth the real presence contra Ecolampadius Ib. 114/4. 1562 Misc. Maitl. C. III 325.
The last sermon … anent the reall presence of … Crist … and obsecracionis mayd be hym in confirmynce of the said doctrine 1638 Nat. Covenant in Facs. Nat. MSS III xcvii.
His blasphemous opinion of transubstantiation, or reall presence of Christs bodie in the elements