realism

noun

re·​al·​ism ˈrē-ə-ˌli-zəm How to pronounce realism (audio)
1
: concern for fact or reality and rejection of the impractical and visionary
2
a
: a doctrine that universals exist outside the mind
specifically : the conception that an abstract term names an independent and unitary reality
b
: a theory that objects of sense perception or cognition exist independently of the mind compare nominalism
3
: the theory or practice of fidelity in art and literature to nature or to real life and to accurate representation without idealization

Examples of realism in a Sentence

He has a sense of realism about what can be done to improve the economy. The realism of her dream was alarming. the stark realism of the play
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The claim is that going to individual seconds shows a semblance of realism in how the hand is moving. Lance Eliot, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2025 That format lends a greater sense of realism to the show, which has apparently been so effective that it’s driven some chatter online (and in the Vulture comments), often from voices within the medical community praising the series’ verisimilitude. Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 20 Feb. 2025 Image Wells noted that the realism of the storytelling also helped make the characters more relatable. Reggie Ugwu, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2025 Lives are literally on the line in Vivian Qu’s genre hybrid Girls on Wire, a surprisingly gritty study of people left behind or living in the margins that fuses gangster realism with social drama and leavens both with a dash of unexpected humor. Damon Wise, Deadline, 18 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for realism

Word History

First Known Use

1817, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of realism was in 1817

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Cite this Entry

“Realism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/realism. Accessed 28 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

realism

noun
re·​al·​ism ˈrē-ə-ˌliz-əm How to pronounce realism (audio)
ˈri-ə-
1
: willingness to face facts and to give in to what is necessary
2
: the showing of things as they really are in art, literature, and theater
realist adjective or noun

More from Merriam-Webster on realism

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