realistic

adjective

re·​al·​is·​tic ˌrē-ə-ˈli-stik 

1

: of, relating to, or marked by literary or artistic realism : accurately representing what is natural or real

a realistic novel

realistic portraiture

realistic sound effects

Such films tend to be more expressionistic than realistic.

—Ira Konigsberg

: convincingly rendered to appear natural

Realistic, sensitive artificial skin would be an important step towards making the prosthetic feel like an extension of the body.

—Julian Smith

2

: able to see things as they really are and to deal with them in a practical way

a sensible, realistic person/attitude

trying to be realistic about their chances for success

3

: based on what is real rather than on what is wanted or hoped for : not impractical or visionary

a realistic plan

realistic expectations

setting realistic goals

It's not realistic to expect people to spend that much money on wedding gifts.

For the first time, people with cancers that have long outwitted science have a realistic chance of getting a miracle, too.

—Sharon Begley

realistically

ˌrē-ə-ˈli-sti-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

depicting a scene realistically

approaching a problem realistically

Synonyms

• pragmatic
• practical
• pragmatical

Examples of realistic in a Sentence

high schoolers who need to be more realistic in their career choices, as so few people end up as rock stars

those special effects look really realistic—I'd never guess they were all computer-generated

Recent Examples on the Web

The result features many innovations never before seen in a humanoid figure, including new methods to create more realistic skin and replicate the twinkle in Walt’s eye which Imagineers established was because of what is known as a corneal bulge. —Caroline Reid, Forbes.com, 21 July 2025

Could physicists resolve Penrose’s singularities by moving to something a little more quantum, and therefore a little more realistic? —Charlie Wood, Wired News, 20 July 2025

When cookies contain personal information, attackers can use AI to create fake emails that appear remarkably realistic. —Nia Bowers, USA Today, 18 July 2025

To be realistic, any good crime drama shot in Phoenix would probably need some kind of butterfly moment like this one. —Austin Corona, AZCentral.com, 17 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1829, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing realistic

• photo-realistic

Rhymes for realistic

• agonistic
• altruistic
• animistic
• aphoristic
• atheistic
• cabalistic
• calvinistic
• chauvinistic
• dualistic
• egoistic
• egotistic
• eucharistic

Kids Definition

realistic

adjective

re·​al·​is·​tic

ˌrē-ə-ˈlis-tik,

ˌri-ə-

1

: true to life or nature

a realistic painting

2

: ready to see things as they really are and deal with them sensibly

a realistic approach

realistically

-ti-k(ə-)lē

adverb