irreali

Irreali is a term found in Italian-language discourse that describes beings, places, or phenomena that do not conform to ordinary perceptions of reality. In literary and philosophical contexts, irreali characterizes elements that appear unreal or that inhabit domains beyond strict physical law, such as dream sequences, alternate universes, or mental constructions within a narrative. The plural form irreali refers to unreal things or beings and derives from the adjective irreale (unreal).

As a concept, irreali functions as a trope rather than a formal category. It encompasses a range of narrative and conceptual instances, from dream logic and surreal imagery to metafictional devices that reveal the fictionality of the seen world. Irreali can be used to examine perception, epistemology, and the limits of representation by placing characters or settings outside conventional realism.

Classification within irreali is typically informal, with subtypes described in criticism rather than codified theory. These may include irreali characters who lack a fixed identity, irreali environments with shifting rules, and irreali events that disrupt causal continuity.

In modern Italian discourse, irreali appears across genres from literature and cinema to philosophy and cultural criticism. Its use signals a deliberate departure from realism, inviting readers and viewers to question how reality is constituted and narrated.

See also: unreality, surrealism, dream logic, metafiction, ontology.