realization
Americannoun
-
realizations
plural
-
the making or being made real of something imagined, planned, etc.
-
the result of such a process.
The new church was the realization of a ten-year dream.
-
the act of realizing or the state of being realized.
-
an instance or result of realizing.
-
Music.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of realization
First recorded in 1605–15; from French réalisation; equivalent to realize + -ation
Explanation
A realization is the act of becoming completely aware of something. Many children who walk into a circus tent for the first time are struck with the realization that clowns are terrifying. A realization is a gradual or sudden understanding or comprehension of something. Another way to use the word realization is to mean the fulfillment of something that was previously only imagined, like the realization of your dream of becoming a pastry chef, or the realization on stage of the play you scribbled on napkins and scraps of paper. Realization grew out of the French réaliser, "to make real."
Vocabulary lists containing realization
From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Lesson 9
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Camp Panda
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Along with her death comes the painful realization that the chances of finding survivors are dwindling, as rescue teams continue to search for hundreds of missing people after this week's devastating 7.4 magnitude earthquake.
From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 2026
It took the realization that Aegon was alive and riding again.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
Looking back now, I can trace so much of my own career back to that realization.
From Salon ● Aug. 6, 2026
To his many critics, Mr. Nolan’s realization of Homer’s poem is almost as crass as my depiction of it as a soccer contest.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
When my car gets a flat tire, I’m overwhelmed by the realization that my bank account is rapidly depleting.
From "Starfish" by Akemi Dawn Bowman
Private-market vehicles assume regular realizations of unlisted share investments and repayment of private loans, which have slowed due to the lack of exits or losses.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 9, 2026
Then the heat wave arrived, and with it, two realizations.
From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2026
Other examples abound of large performance fees exceeding cash realizations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026
Such realizations are familiar in the community: You can miss out on something satisfying simply because it doesn’t match your predefined tastes.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 19, 2026
The two seconds between the realizations that I wasn’t on fire and Celia was were a very blissful two seconds.
From "Made You Up" by Francesca Zappia
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
