# keep it real

> English word · Verb · IPA /ˈkiːp ɪt ˈɹiːl/

## Definitions
1. To perform an individual’s experience of being black in the United States.
2. To be authentic, to be true to oneself; to be cool.
3. In the imperative, an exhortation used as a departing salutation.

## Etymology
From keep + it + real.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/keep-it-real