realism
noun
re·al·ism
ˈrē-ə-ˌli-zəm 
1
: concern for fact or reality and rejection of the impractical and visionary
2
a
: a doctrine that universals exist outside the mind
specifically
: the conception that an abstract term names an independent and unitary reality
b
: a theory that objects of sense perception or cognition exist independently of the mind compare nominalism
3
: the theory or practice of fidelity in art and literature to nature or to real life and to accurate representation without idealization
Examples of realism in a Sentence
He has a sense of realism about what can be done to improve the economy.
The realism of her dream was alarming.
the stark realism of the play
Recent Examples on the Web
Holland is known for bringing effortless authenticity to roles rooted in realism, like those in Moonlight and Selma.
—
Essence, 17 Sep. 2025
The drama, also starring Dustin Hoffman as Bernstein, was a monument to dramatic realism, so serious in its attempt to capture the truth that the production took bags of trash from the real-life Post offices and used the papers on the set.
—Stephen Galloway, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2025
Redford's turn in All the President's Men (1976) as journalist Bob Woodward brought the Watergate scandal to the big screen with gripping realism.
—Hannah Parry
amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
This is the company’s guiding philosophy and aims to reproduce audio just as the artist intended with lifelike realism, emotional depth and spatial precision.
—Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for realism
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Essence, 17 Sep. 2025
The drama, also starring Dustin Hoffman as Bernstein, was a monument to dramatic realism, so serious in its attempt to capture the truth that the production took bags of trash from the real-life Post offices and used the papers on the set.
—Stephen Galloway, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2025
Redford's turn in All the President's Men (1976) as journalist Bob Woodward brought the Watergate scandal to the big screen with gripping realism.
—Hannah Parry
amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
This is the company’s guiding philosophy and aims to reproduce audio just as the artist intended with lifelike realism, emotional depth and spatial precision.
—Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for realism
Cite this Entry
“Realism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/realism. Accessed 22 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
realism
noun
re·al·ism
ˈrē-ə-ˌliz-əm
ˈri-ə-
1
: willingness to face facts and to give in to what is necessary
2
: the showing of things as they really are in art, literature, and theater
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