noun
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a person who is aware of and accepts the physical universe, events, etc, as they are; pragmatist
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an artist or writer who seeks to represent the familiar or typical in real life rather than an idealized, formalized, or romantic interpretation
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philosophy a person who accepts realism
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(modifier) of, relating to, or characteristic of realism or realists in the arts, philosophy, etc
a realist school
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of realist
First recorded in 1595–1605; real 1 + -ist; compare French réaliste
Explanation
Some may say you never expect good things to happen, but maybe you’re just a realist, a person who uses facts and past events, rather than hopeful feelings and wishes, to predict the future. In art, Realist painters started a movement by depicting the world around them as it actually appeared, rather than painting flattering portraits of unattractive people and scenes too good to be true. You don't have to be an artist to be a realist — just consider limitations and anticipate that things that can go wrong will go wrong. The downside? Realists don't get to dream of the great things that could happen if everything goes right.
Vocabulary lists containing realist
Franklin Roosevelt, "Four Freedoms" (1941)
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Franklin Roosevelt, "Four Freedoms" (1941), List 2
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Part 2 Vocabulary (Unit 5)
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Even if you’re a realist, don’t let gloomy projections get you down.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 15, 2026
The romantic and the realist learned to work together.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026
As we follow him, what seemed like a close look at a regional folk dance soon reveals itself as a magical realist journey that’s both beguiling and amusing.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 2, 2026
But I’m also a realist when it comes to award show politics and their intersection with societal attitudes, and I have seen this movie before.
From Salon • Mar. 13, 2026
Digges, Bruno, Benedetti and Gilbert were members of the tiny group of realist Copernicans.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
