realist

American  

[ree-uh-list] / ˈri ə lɪst /

noun

1. a person who tends to view or represent things as they really are.

2. an artist or a writer whose work is characterized by realism.

3. Philosophy. an adherent of realism.

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adjective

1. of or relating to realism or to a person who embodies its principles or practices.

   the realist approach to social ills;

   realist paintings.

realist British  

/ ˈrɪəlɪst /

noun

1. a person who is aware of and accepts the physical universe, events, etc, as they are; pragmatist

2. an artist or writer who seeks to represent the familiar or typical in real life rather than an idealized, formalized, or romantic interpretation

3. philosophy a person who accepts realism

4. (modifier) of, relating to, or characteristic of realism or realists in the arts, philosophy, etc

   a realist school

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Other Word Forms

• antirealist noun
• hyperrealist noun
• nonrealist noun
• prorealist adjective
• ultrarealist noun

Etymology

Origin of realist

First recorded in 1595–1605; real ¹ + -ist; compare French réaliste

Example Sentences

Primarily a sculptor and printmaker, Catlett worked in the social realist tradition and her work often celebrates the dignity of Black and brown working people, especially women.

From Salon • Apr. 6, 2026

The 54-year-old Dyche, who was previously in charge at Everton and Burnley, said he was a "realist" about his precarious situation and spoke like a manager resigned to his fate.

From Barron's • Feb. 12, 2026

He made his home in the Scottish Borders and wrote readable, accessible novels in the realist tradition.

From BBC • Feb. 3, 2026

He was telling me not to do something that I then went and did, which is to become a kind of quotidian, realist, boring writer.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 26, 2026

If she had been asked and had chosen to answer the question of whether she was cowardly or not, she would have said that she was a realist.

From "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou