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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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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 Something is not sort of satisfied by the hard parameters of literary-fiction realism, even though that was the tradition I was raised in. Michael Schaub, Oc Register, 7 Nov. 2025 For the occasion, the venue will feature state-of-the-art projection technology for visual realism taking the world of Pandora to a whole new immersive level. Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 6 Nov. 2025 Despite concerns about the realism of deliverability - 44 percent of those polled by NBC still considered Mamdani's plans realistic, compared to 58 percent for Cuomo - the main issue for voters polled was affordability, at 55 percent. Dan Gooding, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025 In recent years, Bleed had continued recording and performing, maintaining a loyal fan base drawn to his signature mix of southern wisdom and lyrical realism. Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 4 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for realism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for realism
Noun
  • If Mercedes’ Marisol were less melodramatic and more in tune with the naturalism of her castmates, this could be a truly masterful staging.
    Rob Hubbard, Twin Cities, 10 Oct. 2025
  • But the film’s empathy is matter of fact, achieved in part through an almost documentarian naturalism.
    Carrie Battan, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The earliest examples of fake blood, from red cloth to glycerol goo Some folks believe that the pre-modern cultures simply used actual blood in plays and tableaus, for maximum verisimilitude.
    Mark Hay, Popular Science, 9 Oct. 2025
  • The Cenobites, clearly inspired by leather and BDSM culture, are reimagined here as terrifyingly fashionable beings who feel truly alien — an aesthetic praised for its verisimilitude to Clive Barker’s original vision.
    Samantha Allen, Them., 7 Oct. 2025

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“Realism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/realism. Accessed 30 Nov. 2025.

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