as in naturalism
realistic depiction in art and literature
using ordinary people as models, even when depicting the greatest of saints, Caravaggio brought an unforgiving realism to painting that was unprecedented
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Recent Examples of realism
The first one takes place in a sort of magical realism.
—
William Earl, Variety, 8 Sep. 2025
Such subtlety may not necessarily be what readers—perhaps American readers, in particular—expect from political fiction, which can have a reputation for being didactic and heavy-handed, designed to beat readers over the head, as if anything political were made in the mode of Soviet realism.
—Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 5 Sep. 2025
Adding an extra dose of realism to the scene, Madame Olivia, head of Chanel’s flou workshop, appears alongside French actress Garance Marillier, who stars as a young seamstress.
—Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 5 Sep. 2025
Abraham’s debut, which features a standout performance by Fleabag’s Clifford, cleverly blends satirical humour with magical realism, exploring our deep need for human connection and to be seen.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for realism
William Earl, Variety, 8 Sep. 2025
Such subtlety may not necessarily be what readers—perhaps American readers, in particular—expect from political fiction, which can have a reputation for being didactic and heavy-handed, designed to beat readers over the head, as if anything political were made in the mode of Soviet realism.
—Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 5 Sep. 2025
Adding an extra dose of realism to the scene, Madame Olivia, head of Chanel’s flou workshop, appears alongside French actress Garance Marillier, who stars as a young seamstress.
—Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 5 Sep. 2025
Abraham’s debut, which features a standout performance by Fleabag’s Clifford, cleverly blends satirical humour with magical realism, exploring our deep need for human connection and to be seen.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for realism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for realism
Noun
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Needless to say, Zhao’s signature naturalism serves Agnes well.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
30 Aug. 2025
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Yen said she was struck by their similar artistic values through the years and by Diaz’s ability with surrealism and naturalism.—
Noah Lyons,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Both his African heritage and his new exploration of the verisimilitudes and vagaries of New York City life paint the ongoing development of The Watchman, sometimes featured as the key figure as in the monumental portrait, AH!—
Natasha Gural,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
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For Greengrass, this is a technique to generate even greater verisimilitude.—
Andy Hazel,
IndieWire,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Realism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/realism. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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