Definition of realismnext
as in naturalism
realistic depiction in art and literature using ordinary people as models, even when depicting the greatest of saints, Caravaggio brought an unforgiving realism to painting that was unprecedented

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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.
Recent Examples of realism Enhancing surgical outcomes By combining soft robotics with 3D printing, this research provides a synthetic option to avoid the ethical issues related to animal testing while keeping the physical realism required for medical training. Munis Raza, Interesting Engineering, 5 Mar. 2026 Their shared vocabulary became a foundational model for a new generation of ATLiens, where tonal experimentation and raw emotional realism became the standard. Serge Selenou, Pitchfork, 3 Mar. 2026 Beyond the text of the film, its production reflected that same ambition, with car chases shot on city streets without permits to achieve the realism for which the film is celebrated. Paul Fitzgerald, Rolling Stone, 3 Mar. 2026 This illusion of realism will only become more convincing as the technology evolves. Tim Brinkhof, Big Think, 3 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for realism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for realism
Noun
  • La Tour was born in Lorraine, a duchy of the Holy Roman Empire, in 1593, twenty-one years after Caravaggio, whose sensational combination of naturalism and theater, light and dark, formed him as a painter.
    Nicole Krauss, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
  • But the film’s empathy is matter of fact, achieved in part through an almost documentarian naturalism.
    Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 20 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Designers of digital voice assistants do not strive to maximize verisimilitude in their products’ anthropomorphism.
    Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
  • Her designs for the Safdies, as well as her prolific Instagram cataloguing of clothes worn by regular people on the street, have earned her a reputation as a doyenne of verisimilitude.
    Victoria Uren, New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2026

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“Realism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/realism. Accessed 20 Mar. 2026.

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