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
There is a genre-bending western; two stories blend speculative details with realism to portray women planning their escapes; three stories spec-ify the only-daughter experience; and one story flirts with where to begin.
—
Literary Hub, 14 Apr. 2026
The All Genres Project Market selection, chosen by a seven-member committee from more than 120 submissions across 24 countries, spans drama, coming-of-age, art-house, magical realism, crime, sci-fi and fantasy.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 14 Apr. 2026
Against that backdrop, The Bennett Prize — a biennial award for women painters working in figurative realism — just raised its grand prize from $50,000 to $75,000.
—The Editors Of Artnews, ARTnews.com, 14 Apr. 2026
But scaling the effort has been difficult as the technology requires lots of computing power to achieve realism and avoid a lag in interactions with users.
—ArsTechnica, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for realism
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.
Literary Hub, 14 Apr. 2026
The All Genres Project Market selection, chosen by a seven-member committee from more than 120 submissions across 24 countries, spans drama, coming-of-age, art-house, magical realism, crime, sci-fi and fantasy.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 14 Apr. 2026
Against that backdrop, The Bennett Prize — a biennial award for women painters working in figurative realism — just raised its grand prize from $50,000 to $75,000.
—The Editors Of Artnews, ARTnews.com, 14 Apr. 2026
But scaling the effort has been difficult as the technology requires lots of computing power to achieve realism and avoid a lag in interactions with users.
—ArsTechnica, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for realism
Cite this Entry
“Realism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/realism. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
