realistic

adjective

re·​al·​is·​tic ˌrē-ə-ˈli-stik 

1

: of, relating to, or marked by literary or artistic realism : accurately representing what is natural or real

a realistic novel

realistic portraiture

realistic sound effects

Such films tend to be more expressionistic than realistic.

—Ira Konigsberg

: convincingly rendered to appear natural

Realistic, sensitive artificial skin would be an important step towards making the prosthetic feel like an extension of the body.

—Julian Smith

2

: able to see things as they really are and to deal with them in a practical way

a sensible, realistic person/attitude

trying to be realistic about their chances for success

3

: based on what is real rather than on what is wanted or hoped for : not impractical or visionary

a realistic plan

realistic expectations

setting realistic goals

It's not realistic to expect people to spend that much money on wedding gifts.

For the first time, people with cancers that have long outwitted science have a realistic chance of getting a miracle, too.

—Sharon Begley

realistically

ˌrē-ə-ˈli-sti-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

depicting a scene realistically

approaching a problem realistically

Synonyms

• down-to-earth
• earthy
• hardheaded
• matter-of-fact
• practical
• pragmatic
• pragmatical

Examples of realistic in a Sentence

high schoolers who need to be more realistic in their career choices, as so few people end up as rock stars

those special effects look really realistic—I'd never guess they were all computer-generated

Recent Examples on the Web

But such vast funding hikes aren’t realistic, Spurrier said. —Alia Wong, The Courier-Journal, 16 May 2024

The result was a more well-balanced fly that is easier to tie and offers a more realistic presentation in the water. —Ryan Chelius, Field & Stream, 15 May 2024

That's more appealing and more realistic than those other scenarios. —Dave Quinn, Peoplemag, 15 May 2024

Be realistic about your situation and the changes happening around you. —Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 10 May 2024

Thales Alenia Space looked at a slightly more realistic option: using a fleet of conventional rockets as big as SpaceX’s new Starship—the largest rocket ever built—to ferry loads from LEO to GEO, and then back to LEO for refueling from an orbiting fuel depot. —IEEE Spectrum, 9 May 2024

If convicted on all counts, Mr. Hwang could, in theory, be sentenced to 220 years in prison — though a sentence of 20 years is more realistic. —Matthew Goldstein, New York Times, 8 May 2024

In one document, an Exxon official expresses the view that the goals of the 2015 Paris climate accord are not realistic — despite the company publicly endorsing the accord, as Emily Atkin and Arielle Samuelson report in their Heated newsletter. —Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2024

Conjure a realistic scene in your head and play it out on your call. —Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 1 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1829, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing realistic

• photo-realistic

Kids Definition

realistic

adjective

re·​al·​is·​tic

ˌrē-ə-ˈlis-tik,

ˌri-ə-

1

: true to life or nature

a realistic painting

2

: ready to see things as they really are and deal with them sensibly

a realistic approach

realistically

-ti-k(ə-)lē

adverb