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

Took me too long to realize this, but an expandable and non-rubber hose is so much better than the primitive rubber caveman hose. — Sam Mellinger, kansascity, "Mellinger Minutes: Bobby Witt Jr., Ned Yost, Patrick Mahomes and dad’n," 4 June 2019 George spoke with her therapists, read the emails between Rossi and his wife and began to realize that the priest had manipulated and betrayed them both. — Washington Post, "Top US cardinal accused of protecting deputy after sex abuse," 4 June 2019 What if, for instance, Kidman’s character, Celeste, had a formidable mother-in-law (Streep) who didn’t realize that her dead son (Alexander Skarsgard) had been a monster? — Ellen Gray, https://www.inquirer.com, "‘Big Little Lies’ & ‘A Handmaid’s Tale’: Still things to see here?," 4 June 2019 Little said Louisville residents don't always realize their city is a national model for TNR programs. — Laurel Deppen, The Courier-Journal, "Trap-neuter-return program helps Alley Cat Advocates ease Louisville's stray issue," 4 June 2019 No one associated with building the project in the early 1980s realized the resemblance at the time, according to a representative from a real-estate company that was involved. — Jen Fifield, azcentral, "A bird's-eye view of these Glendale medical offices reveal resemblance to swastikas," 4 June 2019 In parallel with those successes, though, IKAROS revealed how much work remains to be done to realize the full potential of light propulsion. — NBC News, "Spacecraft that sail on sunshine could be the next big thing in spaceflight," 3 June 2019 To realize her vision, Agogino and two members from the NASA team incorporated Squishy Robotics, a startup out of UC Berkeley’s SkyDeck accelerator. — Popular Mechanics, "The Squishy Robots That Could Save the World," 13 May 2019 The Youth Side-by-Side Our largest machine was the Polaris Ranger 150 EFI, a youth side-by-side that’s basically like that car Stuart Little drives around in—fully realized transportation for small people. — Ezra Dyer, Popular Mechanics, "The Great Big Youth ATV Test," 25 Mar. 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

7 Jun 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