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

The realist knows that Monday needs to swiftly be proven to be a bizarre anomaly if San Francisco wants to accomplish anything of worth this season. —Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 25 Nov. 2025

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

Adjective

The director captures the town’s desolation and strife through magical realist imagery mixed with flashes of religious iconography, revealing how such a place can still seem enchanting for a young boy who grew up there. —Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 21 Nov. 2025

Starting in the days of the Great Depression with the WPA and depicting the life and persons, famous and not so famous of Black America, Charles White became one of the most acclaimed social realist artists of the 20th century. —Dominic Patten, Deadline, 17 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