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.

ˈrealist 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

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

Those fonder of Hawthorne the magical realist will have plenty to appreciate as well, not least of which that Donatello’s true ancestry—whether human or faun—is never definitively established.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 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

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