realist

1 of 2

noun

re·​al·​ist ˈrē-ə-list 

plural realists

1

: a person who recognizes what is real or possible in a particular situation : one who accepts and deals with things as they really are

a political realist

She considers herself a realist when it comes to parenting.

2

: a person (such as a writer or painter) who adheres to a style of realism by representing things in a way faithful to nature or to real life

Chekhov was essentially more of a realist than Dostoevski, whose force often lay in a strong proclivity to melodrama …

—Roger Shattuck

realist

2 of 2

adjective

1

: in the style of realism : faithful in representation to nature or to real life

realist paintings

realist fiction

2

: realistic, practical

a realist approach to the problem

Examples of realist in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The thing to watch will be who winds up in the top jobs, hardliners or realists. —Donald Heflin, Fortune, 1 Mar. 2026

The thing to watch will be who winds up in the top jobs, hardliners or realists. —Donald Heflin, The Conversation, 28 Feb. 2026

Adjective

Contemporary realism at Tory Folliard Bringing a refreshing perspective to the world around us, contemporary realist painters are at the center of Tory Folliard’s current exhibition. —Anya Sesay, jsonline.com, 1 Apr. 2026

The realist view is that NASA wants to fly a nuclear reactor as soon as possible, and the Mars launch window justifies the aggressive development schedule (and commensurate funding) to appropriators. —David W. Brown, Scientific American, 31 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1817, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1832, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing realist

• photo-realist