realization

American  

[ree-uh-luh-zey-shuhn] / ˌri ə ləˈzeɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the making or being made real of something imagined, planned, etc.

2. the result of such a process.

   The new church was the realization of a ten-year dream.

3. the act of realizing or the state of being realized.

4. an instance or result of realizing.

5. Music.

   1. the act of realizing a figured bass.

   2. a printed score of a realized figured bass.

---

Other Word Forms

• nonrealization noun
• prerealization noun

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."

Example Sentences

It’s a news-based index that measures “the threat, realization and escalation of adverse events associated with wars, terrorism and any tensions among states and political actors that affect the peaceful course of international relations.”

From MarketWatch • Apr. 17, 2026

The dawning realization that the problems these men face aren’t failures at being men.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026

For 74-year-old Smart, the realization that the end had come was a gradual process as they filmed the final scenes on each of the show's sets.

From Barron's • Apr. 6, 2026

This realization led us to launch a national initiative at Georgetown University’s Center for Youth Justice to find, research, and recognize these burial grounds, and to honor the children buried there.

From Slate • Mar. 30, 2026

For many Hitler Youth, the realization that they had worked and slaved for a criminal cause came about only after a period of many years.

From "Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

Related Words

• accomplishment
• attainment
• fulfillment
• success