realize

verb

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re·al·ize | \ ˈrē-ə-ˌlīz

realized; realizing

Definition of realize

transitive verb

1a : to bring into concrete existence : accomplish finally realized her goal

b : to cause to seem real : make appear real a book in which the characters are carefully realized

2a : to convert into actual money realized assets

b : to bring or get by sale, investment, or effort : gain realized a large profit

3 : to conceive vividly as real : be fully aware of did not realize the risk she was taking

Other Words from realize Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about realize

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Choose the Right Synonym for realize

think, conceive, imagine, fancy, realize, envisage, envision mean to form an idea of. think implies the entrance of an idea into one's mind with or without deliberate consideration or reflection. I just thought of a good joke conceive suggests the forming and bringing forth and usually developing of an idea, plan, or design. conceived of a new marketing approach imagine stresses a visualization. imagine you're at the beach fancy suggests an imagining often unrestrained by reality but spurred by desires. fancied himself a super athlete realize stresses a grasping of the significance of what is conceived or imagined. realized the enormity of the task ahead envisage and envision imply a conceiving or imagining that is especially clear or detailed. envisaged a totally computerized operation envisioned a cure for the disease

Examples of realize in a Sentence

They did not realize the risk that was involved. He finally realized the scope of the problem. She realizes how much things have changed. Do you realize how difficult that stunt is? You just have to realize that you can't always get what you want. She slowly realized what he was trying to say. He realized a lifelong dream by winning an Olympic medal. He finally realized his ambition to start his own business.

Recent Examples on the Web Our tendency is to assume, perhaps without realizing it, that AI systems have minds somewhat like ours. — Tom Simonite, Wired, "As Machines Get Smarter, How Will We Relate to Them?," 19 May 2020 Martha McSally to the Senate at the end of 2018, and now his fears over whether the Republican could hold onto the late Sen. John McCain's seat two years later are being realized. — Naomi Lim, Washington Examiner, "Martha McSally falling behind Mark Kelly by double digits: Poll," 19 May 2020 In May of 1909, Dodd was at a Mother’s Day church service and realized that her dad was doing all the work that typically fell to women and mothers. — Emily Vanschmus, Better Homes & Gardens, "Meet the Man Who Inspired Father’s Day: A War Veteran and Single Dad with 14 Kids," 18 May 2020 Is this Berlin in the late nineteen-twenties, and we just don’t realize it? — Alexis Okeowo, The New Yorker, "Riz Ahmed Is Rethinking What Matters," 17 May 2020 The East's greatest philosopher, Siddhartha Gautama, also known as the Buddha, realized the importance of keeping the end in sight. — TheWeek, "Sooner or later we all face death. Will a sense of meaning help us?," 17 May 2020 Many who have the disease, however, may not even realize it, the study found. — Shari Rudavsky, Indianapolis Star, "Fairbanks study estimates 186K Hoosiers infected with coronavirus," 13 May 2020 But as poachers decimated elephant populations in recent decades, Samburu herders realized their cattle were also suffering. — Popular Science, "Twelve powerful images to remind us how weird and wild the world is," 13 May 2020 Finding the answer will require more aggressive contact tracing (to identify patterns in disease transmission) and far more widespread antibody testing (to identify people who were infected without realizing it). — Los Angeles Times, "What COVID-19 patients young and old can teach us about the coronavirus," 8 May 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'realize.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near realize

realizably

realization

realization and liquidation account

Statistics for realize

Last Updated

23 May 2020

Cite this Entry

“Realize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/realize. Accessed 3 Jun. 2020.

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More Definitions for realize

realize

verb

English Language Learners Definition of realize

: to understand or become aware of (something)

: to cause (something) to become real

formal : to achieve (something, such as a goal, dream, etc.)

See the full definition for realize in the English Language Learners Dictionary

realize

verb

re·al·ize | \ ˈrē-ə-ˌlīz

realized; realizing

Kids Definition of realize

1 : to be aware of : understand Do they realize the danger?

2 : to bring into being : accomplish The war looked like my chance to realize my old dream of flying.— Richard Peck, A Long Way from Chicago

3 : to get as a result of effort : gain Will your business realize a profit?

realize

transitive verb

re·al·ize | \ ˈrē-ə-ˌlīz

realized; realizing

Legal Definition of realize

1 : to convert into money

2 : to obtain or incur (as a gain or loss) especially as the result of a sale, exchange, or other disposition of an asset realized a loss when the house was sold — compare recognize

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