realism
noun
re·al·ism
ˈrē-ə-ˌli-zəm 
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
Because what matters, what makes Caravaggio so much more than an illustrator, is less the realism of the sacred image than its translation — through the bodies and faces of ordinary people — from the time of the Gospels to now.
—
Jason Farago, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2025
As the Scientific Revolution spread across Europe, artists became increasingly devoted to realism in still life paintings of plants and flowers.
—Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Apr. 2025
The series was able to focus on realism in subject matter while pivoting to high-concept formats every once in a while.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 21 Apr. 2025
Not surprisingly, Vargas Llosa’s early novels, inspired by the type of social realism that prevailed after the Second World War, are at their core antiauthoritarian.
—Ilan Stavans, The Atlantic, 15 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for realism
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Jason Farago, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2025
As the Scientific Revolution spread across Europe, artists became increasingly devoted to realism in still life paintings of plants and flowers.
—Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Apr. 2025
The series was able to focus on realism in subject matter while pivoting to high-concept formats every once in a while.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 21 Apr. 2025
Not surprisingly, Vargas Llosa’s early novels, inspired by the type of social realism that prevailed after the Second World War, are at their core antiauthoritarian.
—Ilan Stavans, The Atlantic, 15 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for realism
Cite this Entry
“Realism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/realism. Accessed 5 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
realism
noun
re·al·ism
ˈrē-ə-ˌliz-əm
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
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