realm
Americannoun
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realms
plural
-
a royal domain; kingdom.
the realm of England.
-
the region, sphere, or domain within which anything occurs, prevails, or dominates.
the realm of dreams.
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the special province or field of something or someone.
the realm of physics; facts within the realm of political scientists.
noun
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a royal domain; kingdom (now chiefly in such phrases as Peer of the Realm )
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a field of interest, study, etc
the realm of the occult
Synonym Usage
See kingdom.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of realm
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English realme, reaume, Old French reialme, from Latin regimen “guidance, direction, rule,” influenced by Old French reial “royal” ( see origin at royal)
Explanation
A realm is an area that is ruled by something. If you are a controlling cook who doesn’t like anyone to do anything else in the kitchen, then the kitchen is your realm. Realm comes from the French for kingdom, but since there aren’t so many kings or queens left in the world, you’ll more often find it referring to non-royal spheres. That could be the sphere of a special kind of knowledge, like the realm of biology, or the political realm. Or it could be an area dominated by some group. Little Italy was famously the realm of the mafia; Hollywood is the realm of film stars.
Vocabulary lists containing realm
Vocabulary from "Stop Expecting Games to Build Empathy" by Julie Muncy
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100 SAT words Beginning with "R"
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Beowulf vocabulary
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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:
By keeping the action and themes largely Earthbound and removing the interstellar glamour associated with flying supes and suits, “Lanterns” reignites our consideration of a superhero long written off in the live-action realm.
From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026
“It was a different realm for us,” he says.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
"Continued investment in Oxford Street's public realm is so important," she said.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
Premium toppings, extravagant presentations and supersize varieties are pushing hot dogs into the realm of haute cuisine.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
He’d sent the badger toward every single realm.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
We look to be back in the realms of a two-horse race and the two horses have experienced jockeys now, not two Old Firm apprentices like Russell Martin and Wilfried Nancy.
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026
Miyazaki’s tales also tend to immerse us in supernatural domains existing parallel to our own, as if reality masks more ethereal, life-affirming realms.
From Salon ● Jul. 30, 2026
“We have to look out for our future and our new generations, to be strong in realms other than weapons.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 22, 2026
"Used properly, AI can open doors to whole new realms to explore."
From Science Daily ● Apr. 23, 2026
But because Ruth was from Hailsham, somehow the whole notion came within the realms of the possible.
From "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro
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.
