"one who has been given authority to manage," mid-15c., administratour, from Old French administrateur or directly from Latin administrator "a manager, conductor," agent noun from past-participle stem of administrare "to manage, control, superintend" (see administer). The estate sense is earliest. For ending, see -er.
1540s, "quality of being real, objective reality," from French réalité and directly from Medieval Latin realitatem (nominative realitas), from Late Latin realis (see real (adj.)). Also compare realty, which was the older form of the word in the sense of "reality" (mid-15c.).
Meaning "real existence, what is real, the aggregate of all that is real" is from 1640s; that of "the real state (of something)" is from 1680s. Sometimes 17c.-18c. it also meant "sincerity." Reality-based is attested from 1960, in marriage counseling. Reality television is attested from 1991.
1610s, "bring into existence, make or cause to become real," also "exhibit the actual existence of," from French réaliser "make real" (16c.), from real "actual" (see real (adj.)). The sense of "understand clearly, comprehend the reality of" is recorded by 1775. Sense of "obtain, amass, bring or get into actual possession" (money, profit, etc.) is from 1753. Related: Realized; realizing.
"real things, actual facts," 1952, neuter plural of Late Latin realis "actual, real" (see real (adj.)). Earlier (1950, American English), "objects which may be used as teaching aids but were not made for the purpose" [OED].
1728, from the Unami Delaware (Algonquian) native designation, said to mean literally "original person," from /len-/ "ordinary, real, original" + /-a:p:e/ "person." Sometimes in extended form Lenni Lenape, with /leni-/ "real."
"a making real," 1824, noun of action from actualize. Related: Actualisation.
1550s, "estate manager's office," from French factorie (15c.), from Late Latin factorium "office for agents ('factors')," also "oil press, mill," from Latin factor "doer, maker," agent noun from past-participle stem of facere "to do" (from PIE root *dhe- "to set, put"). From 1580s as "establishment of merchants and factors in a foreign place." Sense of "building for making goods" is first attested 1610s. Factory farm is attested from 1890.
outdoor game similar to lawn tennis but played with a shuttlecock, 1874, from Badminton House, name of Gloucestershire estate of the Duke of Beaufort, where the game first was played in England, mid-19c., having been picked up by British officers from Indian poona. The place name is Old English Badimyncgtun (972), "estate of (a man called) Baduhelm."
