the real thing
noun
: something that is genuine and not a copy or imitation : something that is truly valuable or important
The diamond turned out to be the real thing.
You've done very well in your training. Let's just hope you're ready for the real thing.
Examples of the real thing in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
On the opposite end of reality, 2025 promises AI generated content that’s basically indistinguishable from the real thing.
—
Amy Sterling, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
There is plenty of basis for the interpretation that mandalas are symbols of the divine cosmos, designed to teach initiates about the real thing, unless mandalas are vessels in which the divine resides, nothing symbolic about them.
—Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 2 Jan. 2025
Currently sold out on Walmart's website, the dupe bears a striking resemblance to the real thing at a fraction of the cost, between $78 and $102.
—Alex Perry, Cincinnati Enquirer, 30 Dec. 2024
Not Your Grandmother’s Hand-Me-Down Long gone are the days of wearing real fur in favor of modern faux furs that look just as fabulous as the real thing.
—Laura Jackson, Vogue, 19 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for the real thing 
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Amy Sterling, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
There is plenty of basis for the interpretation that mandalas are symbols of the divine cosmos, designed to teach initiates about the real thing, unless mandalas are vessels in which the divine resides, nothing symbolic about them.
—Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 2 Jan. 2025
Currently sold out on Walmart's website, the dupe bears a striking resemblance to the real thing at a fraction of the cost, between $78 and $102.
—Alex Perry, Cincinnati Enquirer, 30 Dec. 2024
Not Your Grandmother’s Hand-Me-Down Long gone are the days of wearing real fur in favor of modern faux furs that look just as fabulous as the real thing.
—Laura Jackson, Vogue, 19 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for the real thing
Dictionary Entries Near the real thing
Cite this Entry
“The real thing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20real%20thing. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
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