magic realism

American  

Or magical realism

noun

1. a style of painting and literature in which fantastic or imaginary and often unsettling images or events are depicted in a sharply detailed, realistic manner.

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magic realism British  

noun

1. a style of painting or writing that depicts images or scenes of surreal fantasy in a representational or realistic way

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Other Word Forms

• magic realist
  noun

Etymology

Origin of magic realism

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

magic realism

Additionally, the movement from domestic mayhem to cosmic absurdity evokes the works of Paula Vogel and Sarah Ruhl, American exemplars of magic realism.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 16, 2025

There are surreal moments and scenes of magic realism.

From Salon ● Jun. 9, 2023

Songwriters draw on the grim language of news bulletins, and military terminology, put to literary use, takes on a kind of magic realism.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 19, 2023

The queen of magic realism, Isabelle Allende, follows two parallel stories of war and immigration in The Wind Knows My Name.

From BBC ● Dec. 26, 2022

Season 2 of “Espookys” leveled up its winsome magic realism with a serial story that combined presidential politics and beauty-pageant intrigue, and Ana Fabrega continues to give one of TV’s great screwball performances.

From New York Times ● Dec. 1, 2022