realist

1 of 2

noun

re·​al·​ist ˈrē-ə-list 

plural realists

1

: a person who recognizes what is real or possible in a particular situation : one who accepts and deals with things as they really are

a political realist

She considers herself a realist when it comes to parenting.

2

: a person (such as a writer or painter) who adheres to a style of realism by representing things in a way faithful to nature or to real life

Chekhov was essentially more of a realist than Dostoevski, whose force often lay in a strong proclivity to melodrama …

—Roger Shattuck

realist

2 of 2

adjective

: in the style of realism : faithful in representation to nature or to real life

realist paintings

Though a number of Dahl's most engaging stories, particularly in his early career, are cast in a realist mode, his reputation is that of a writer of macabre, blackly jocose tales …

—Joyce Carol Oates

Examples of realist in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The highest draft choice possible is what the realists are hoping for, which would mean losing games down the stretch. —Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 18 Mar. 2025

The new wave of realists and idealists now sit united in opposition to the current occupants of the White House. —Neil MacFarquhar, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2025

Adjective

Efforts from firms and governments to prioritize AI safety, which emphasizes ethics, transparency and predictability, have been replaced in the Trump era by a starkly realist doctrine of AI security. —Uttara Sivaram, Forbes.com, 11 Apr. 2025

Boulder’s Sarah McKenzie takes up the main space with her realist paintings of prisons and museums. —Ray Mark Rinaldi, Denver Post, 7 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1817, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1853, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing realist

• photo-realist