realist

American  

[ree-uh-list] / ˈri ə lɪst /

noun

realists plural

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.

realist 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

Derived Forms

• antirealist
  noun
• hyperrealist
  noun
• nonrealist
  noun
• ultrarealist
  noun
• prorealist
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• realists
  plural

Etymology

Origin of realist

First recorded in 1595–1605; real ¹ + -ist; compare French réaliste

Explanation

Some may say you never expect good things to happen, but maybe you’re just a realist, a person who uses facts and past events, rather than hopeful feelings and wishes, to predict the future. In art, Realist painters started a movement by depicting the world around them as it actually appeared, rather than painting flattering portraits of unattractive people and scenes too good to be true. You don't have to be an artist to be a realist — just consider limitations and anticipate that things that can go wrong will go wrong. The downside? Realists don't get to dream of the great things that could happen if everything goes right.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

realist realists

"Since day one of our evacuation, I have been a realist about the situation," he said.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

I’m a realist, so I would like to know whether this is a realistic option and what other factors I should consider before making this decision.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 16, 2026

The romantic and the realist learned to work together.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026

Though framed by a fantastical conceit, “Dear Monica Lewinsky” is at its core a realist novel, influenced by the feminism of #MeToo and precise in its delineation of character and place.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 22, 2026

If she had been asked and had chosen to answer the question of whether she was cowardly or not, she would have said that she was a realist.

From "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou

“We are realists, but we are not worrywarts either,” he said.

From MarketWatch ● Mar. 11, 2026

Even worse are the hardheaded dollars-and-cents realists of Wall Street who take this new reality as a given.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 2, 2025

And the realists should do what they must to win.

From Slate ● Oct. 6, 2025

Optimists say a year, realists say two years.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 13, 2024

Clavius’s argument here is identical with that of modern realists who claim that science must approximate to the truth, otherwise it would not be able to make successful predictions.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton