"Real" *is* a meaningless term. Every word and concept is ultimately some kind of meaningless because it's nothing more than a sound you make with your mouth to represent some aspect of human perception. No one else can ever have your perception of the world, but that doesn't make either of your lives less "real", does it?

Hell, that's one of the oldest philosophical questions ever asked. What is "real"? What is "alive"?

"I think therefore I am" is pretty profound when you really consider it.