social realism

American  

Or Social Realism

noun

1. a style of painting, especially of the 1930s in the U.S., in which the scenes depicted typically convey a message of social or political protest edged with satire.

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social realism British  

noun

1. the use of realist art, literature, etc as a medium for social or political comment

2. another name for socialist realism

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• social realist
  noun

Example Sentences

With their mix of social realism, symbolism and pure escapism, the movies of 1939 embody the same themes that kept audiences flocking to the cinema and other forms of entertainment throughout the decade.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 21, 2026

Gunn goes for a gritty, dim look to give the film the air of authentic social realism.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 21, 2024

Amid the downhearted social realism of the story, the director finds room for bright instances of childhood innocence and evocative dream sequences.

From Los Angeles Times • May 31, 2023

"Waterloo Road was conceived as a campaigning show with social realism in its DNA," says Liz Lake, who wrote numerous previous episodes and has penned the first instalment of the comeback.

From BBC • Jan. 2, 2023

But he struggled to fuse it with social realism, with which it is radically incompatible.

From Character and Opinion in the United States by Santayana, George