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

2

: realistic, practical

a realist approach to the problem

Examples of realist in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Doing so also gave him freedom to take on different roles - in samurai epics, realist dramas, crime thrillers, and even science fiction - and work with many different directors over the course of his career. —NPR, 12 Nov. 2025

But Ma has been deftly drawn as a canny realist and problem solver—not the kind of person to indulge in daydreams. —Tope Folarin, The Atlantic, 8 Nov. 2025

Adjective

Doing so also gave him freedom to take on different roles - in samurai epics, realist dramas, crime thrillers, and even science fiction - and work with many different directors over the course of his career. —NPR, 12 Nov. 2025

Breakthrough producer nominations go to Wyn Baptiste for activism documentary Shoot the People, Charlotte Knowles for cross-border doc Palestine Comedy Club, Joann Kushner for screenlife heist movie LifeHack and Dhiraj Mahey for social-realist coming-of-age drama Ish. —Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 3 Nov. 2025

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