realize

verb

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

Baur, who has worked for Ohio Republicans including Rob Portman, Josh Mandel, Anthony Gonzalez and Bob Latta, also became Bainbridge Township GOP Rep. Dave Joyce’s treasurer when Joyce realized his old treasurer was stealing cash. — Laura Hancock, cleveland.com, "Gun bills to get first Ohio legislative hearings after Dayton shooting: Capitol Letter," 17 Sep. 2019 The rancor subsides after Henri’s death, when the rivals realize that in sisterhood there is strength, and that women united might just bring harmony to the world. — Ben Brantley, New York Times, "Review: In ‘Wives,’ the Other Halves Have Their Say," 16 Sep. 2019 After the hiatus, Chaplin’s crew realized that, due to rampant development, their Hollywood location was no longer suitable. — Katherine Yamada, Glendale News-Press, "Verdugo Views: Charlie Chaplin’s time filming ‘The Circus’ had comedic moments of its own," 5 Sep. 2019 Five years ago, after realizing that as an Indigenous man he was not recognized by Australia’s Constitution, Mr. Walubara quit his job as a political reporter and renounced his Australian citizenship and former name, Jeremy Geia. — New York Times, "The Indigenous Man Who Declared His Own Country," 13 Sep. 2019 Cachet also submitted requests to reverse direct deposits to employees but after realizing the initial request contained the wrong code, the company put in a second request, Slavkin said. — Dennis Romero, NBC News, "FBI investigates after millions in workers' direct-deposit pay vanish," 13 Sep. 2019 This is extra money; people don’t realize $8, $6, $5, even a nickel, is better than nothing. — John Carlisle, Freep.com, "Detroit flower man grows hope, brings beauty to community," 12 Sep. 2019 The supporters section released several canisters of purple smoke before realizing the referee nullified the goal due to a foul before the shot. — Julia Poe, Pro Soccer USA, "Three things we learned from Orlando City’s 2-2 draw with LAFC," 10 Sep. 2019 Doctors online expressed shock and dismay after realizing that patients are using Groupon deals to access medical services, such as chest CT scans and mammograms, at discount rates, according to a report by Kaiser Health News. — Beth Mole, Ars Technica, "Doctors aghast at Groupon deals for medical care," 6 Sep. 2019

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

11 Oct 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for realize

The first known use of realize was circa 1611

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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