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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of realism
The focus is on realism, avoiding overexaggeration while delivering a lifelike viewing experience.
—
Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 5 Jan. 2026
For a narrative in the tradition of British realism, the question is how to be an interesting twenty-first-century novel rather than a costume drama.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 31 Dec. 2025
But such accuracy has little to do with the pleasures of realism.
—Rosa Lyster, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
For many everyday scenarios — especially low-resolution video calls and media shared on social media platforms — their realism is now high enough to reliably fool nonexpert viewers.
—Siwei Lyu, The Conversation, 26 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for realism
Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 5 Jan. 2026
For a narrative in the tradition of British realism, the question is how to be an interesting twenty-first-century novel rather than a costume drama.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 31 Dec. 2025
But such accuracy has little to do with the pleasures of realism.
—Rosa Lyster, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
For many everyday scenarios — especially low-resolution video calls and media shared on social media platforms — their realism is now high enough to reliably fool nonexpert viewers.
—Siwei Lyu, The Conversation, 26 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for realism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for realism
Noun
-
It’s based on the fallacy of naturalism.—
Christine Baranski,
Vogue,
5 Dec. 2025
-
To increase the naturalism of Morrow having a cybernetic arm, Painter had Ceesay wear an actual prosthetic arm over his own arm to simulate the way Morrow would move with it.—
Christian Blauvelt,
IndieWire,
4 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
The verisimilitude rippled out to other departments.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Jan. 2026
-
That verisimilitude functioned as a solvent, lending credibility and urgency to elements of the show that might otherwise register as pure cheese; the medical realism and sentimental flourishes were mutually reinforcing.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
6 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Realism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/realism. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share