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Synonyms

realize

American

[ree-uh-lahyz] / ˈri əˌlaɪz /

especially British, realise

verb (used with object)

to grasp or understand clearly.

Synonyms:

comprehend, conceive

Antonyms:

misunderstand
to make real; give reality to (a hope, fear, plan, etc.).

Synonyms:

effect, accomplish
to bring vividly to the mind.
to convert into cash or money.

to realize securities.
to obtain as a profit or income for oneself by trade, labor, or investment.
to bring as proceeds, as from a sale.

The goods realized $1000.
Music. to sight-read on a keyboard instrument or write out in notation the full harmony and ornamentation indicated by (a figured bass).
Linguistics. to serve as an instance, representation, or embodiment of (an abstract linguistic element or category).

In “Jack tripped,” the subject is realized by “Jack,” the predicate by “tripped,” and the past tense by “-ed.”

verb (used without object)

to convert property or goods into cash or money.

realize British

/ ˈrɪəˌlaɪz /

verb

(when tr, may take a clause as object) to become conscious or aware of (something)
(tr, often passive) to bring (a plan, ambition, etc) to fruition; make actual or concrete
(tr) to give (something, such as a drama or film) the appearance of reality
(tr) (of goods, property, etc) to sell for or make (a certain sum)

this table realized £800
(tr) to convert (property or goods) into cash
(tr)
1. to expand or complete (a thorough-bass part in a piece of baroque music) by supplying the harmonies indicated in the figured bass
2. to reconstruct (a composition) from an incomplete set of parts
to sound or utter (a phoneme or other speech sound) in actual speech; articulate

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Synonym Usage

See imagine.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of realize

First recorded in 1605–15; from French réaliser, Middle French, equivalent to real real ¹ + -iser -ize

Explanation

When you realize something, you become fully aware of what is happening, like when you realize all the people in your basement who are smiling at you and starting to sing to you are there because it's your birthday. Surprise! Realize usually describes the moment your thoughts click, like the moment you close the door behind you, you realize you don't have your keys. You are locked out! So you knock on your neighbor's door. You realize, here meaning that you are fully aware, that she might not appreciate having to help you because she's trying to leave for work. You tell her your new goal is to be more organized. She says, until you realize, or reach, that goal, you better hide an extra key somewhere in your yard.

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Vocabulary lists containing realize

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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:

realize realizes realized realizing

I suspected that I would be a long-term holder, and my children would likely be the ones to realize any profits from any sale many years down the road, long after I was gone.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026

During Friday’s 9/11 commemorations, it was startling to realize that one-third of the American population today wasn’t born when it happened.

From Salon ● Sep. 13, 2026

As a wimpy ectomorph, my temporary high-T status provided a validation I didn’t realize I was looking for.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 12, 2026

“But what you realize is that every newspaper is struggling with the same things.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026

I now realize I wore the black jacket with the logo on the back that Zora gave me.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold

The Marvel Cinematic Universe can only expand so many times before one realizes it’s not actually going anywhere.

From Salon ● Sep. 11, 2026

It says the deal realizes value for the asset and removes risks related to operating in Papua New Guinea.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026

“I’ve been doing this work for 30 years, and I’ve never seen anything like this. ...People from San Diego up to Eureka and Humboldt, everybody is mobilizing because everybody realizes what’s at risk.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026

It drives a lot of people nuts, but I don’t mind it, it’s quite entertaining, especially when the “injured” player realizes nobody cares and pops right up again, Lazarus-style, and rejoins the action.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026

It is only then that Bailey realizes the scope of the commitment he is being asked for.

From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern

He admitted that he had not realized how deeply his children had been affected by the event itself and by his experience of it.

From Slate ● Sep. 11, 2026

By then his lawyers realized that the funds traced to Binance had disappeared.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026

“Maybe they finally realized what most of us have known for years,” the ad said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026

Patti discovered this firsthand when he realized that his own favorite protein bar contained a large amount of sorbitol.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 6, 2026

He continues in a quiet tone, “It wasn’t until later that I realized I don’t remember ever not being afraid of cops.”

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold

"A key challenge faced by biomimetic science is realizing environmentally friendly material designs inspired by nature at the scale and cost of existing materials," said Assoc.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 10, 2026

After talking it through with her family and editor Elizabeth Méndez Berry, she warmed to the idea, realizing that the book didn’t have to just focus on her, that biography could also narrate community.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026

OpenAI's researchers denied having had any access to the rival team's work and said they proposed sharing credit before realizing that Buckmaster and Alpoge had fallen short of solving the problem.

From Barron's ● Sep. 8, 2026

Many companies are past that line without realizing it.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 3, 2026

Hopefully she’s realizing she’s been after the wrong person this entire time.

From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023