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

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

A pragmatic realist, he stopped short of calling for immediate emancipation, which he knew was unacceptable to most American voters.

From The Wall Street Journal

It’s a movie for dreamers, realists and romantics alike, the kind of film that’s so fantastic and so painfully human that its brilliant existence is reason enough to believe in good things.

From Salon

Foreign-policy realists focus on interests and tend to dismiss shared values and myths.

From The Wall Street Journal

Infantino is simply playing his role as a diplomat and a realist, a person familiar with his thinking said, in the interest of ensuring a smooth World Cup.

From The Wall Street Journal