réal

Réal is a term with several uses, most notably as a historical currency name in Portuguese-speaking contexts and as a given name in French-speaking communities. In Portuguese usage, real means royal, deriving from the Latin regalis. In transliterations and older texts, the form réal can appear with an accent.

As a currency, the real was the principal coin in Portugal from the medieval period until the early 20th century, when the escudo was introduced. In colonial and early republican Brazil, the real appeared alongside other units and forms and gradually gave way to newer monetary arrangements; in the 20th century Brazil adopted the cruzeiro, and later currencies before reintroducing the real. The modern Brazilian currency, the real (plural reais), has been in use since 1994 as part of the Plano Real and remains Brazil’s official currency today. Its ISO code is BRL and its symbol is R$.

The plural form in modern Portuguese is reais. In historical Portuguese texts, you may also encounter the archaic spelling réis. The term real also appears in discussions of monetary history to distinguish between the various national variants of the unit.

Réal is also a given name in Francophone communities, most commonly masculine. It appears in French-Canadian contexts and other Francophone regions, reflecting the broader Latin-origin meaning related to royalty or regal status.

In summary, réal primarily denotes a historic currency name in Portugal and Brazil, with a modern reintroduction in Brazil as the current national currency, while also serving as a French-Canadian given name.