realist
gb/ɹˈiəlɪst/ us/ɹˈiəlɪst/
B2
English
realista, reális, filozófiai realista, politikai realista
NOUN
B2
1
realista
B2
Usage pattern:
a realist; [someone] is a realist; the realist in [someone]
As a realist, she budgeted for delays instead of assuming everything would go perfectly.
Mivel realista volt, a költségvetésben a csúszásokkal is számolt, ahelyett hogy azt feltételezte volna, minden tökéletesen fog menni.
The realist in him knew the project would take longer than two weeks.
A realista énje tudta, hogy a projekt tovább fog tartani két hétnél.
He’s not pessimistic—he’s a realist who wants a workable plan.
Learner examples
My sister is a realist and plans carefully.
A nővérem realista, és gondosan tervez.
Be a realist about the time you need.
Légy realista azzal kapcsolatban, mennyi időre van szükséged.
Common mistake:
Learners often confuse the noun realist (a person) with the adjective realistic (describing a plan or idea).
Meaning
practical person who accepts reality
Collocations
a realist about [something]
|be a realist
|a complete realist
|a natural realist
|a realist at heart
|the realist in me
|a realist view
|a realist perspective
|a realist assessment
|pragmatic realist
Synonyms
pragmatist (Emphasizes practical decisions and results.)
|
practical person (More general and less formal.)
|
down-to-earth person (Suggests sensible thinking and no fantasy.)
Antonyms
idealist (Focuses on ideals rather than practical reality.)
|
dreamer (Thinks more about hopes and fantasies than facts.)
Themes
personality
|daily_life
|thinking
Definition
A realist is someone who is practical and sees situations as they really are.
A person who thinks and acts in a practical way, accepting things as they are rather than imagining ideal or unlikely outcomes.
B2
2
reális
B1
Usage pattern:
a realist approach/plan/assessment; be realist about [something]
We need a realist timeline if we want the team to deliver good work.
Reális időtervre van szükségünk, ha azt akarjuk, hogy a csapat jó munkát végezzen.
Her report takes a realist view of what the city can afford.
A jelentése reális képet ad arról, mit engedhet meg magának a város.
Try to be more realist about your chances of getting a refund.
Learner examples
We made a realist plan for the trip.
Reális tervet készítettünk az útra.
Set realist goals for this week.
Tűzz ki reális célokat erre a hétre.
Common mistake:
In American English, realistic is often more common than realist in this adjective sense; learners may overuse realist where realistic sounds more natural.
Meaning
practical rather than idealistic
Collocations
a realist approach
|a realist plan
|a realist goal
|a realist assessment
|a realist appraisal
|a realist view
|a realist policy
|a realist budget
|a realist timeline
|a realist expectation
Synonyms
pragmatic (Often used for solutions and decision-making.)
|
practical (Simple, everyday word for workable ideas.)
|
realistic (Most common adjective for ‘based on reality’.)
Antonyms
idealistic (Based on ideals rather than what is likely.)
|
unrealistic (Not possible or not reasonable in the real world.)
Themes
thinking
|work
|planning
Definition
A realist plan or view is practical and based on real facts.
Based on a practical view of what is possible and likely, rather than on ideals or wishful thinking.
NOUN
C1
3
realista
B2
Usage pattern:
a realist; a realist painter/novelist
She studied the work of nineteenth-century realists in France.
A franciaországi 19. századi realisták műveit tanulmányozta.
The novel is often praised for being written like a realist’s account of ordinary life.
A regényt gyakran azért dicsérik, mert úgy hat, mintha egy realista számolt volna be a hétköznapi életről.
As a realist painter, he focused on everyday scenes rather than mythological subjects.
Learner examples
He is a realist painter.
Ő realista festő.
I like realist stories about daily life.
Szeretem a mindennapi életről szóló realista történeteket.
Meaning
artist or writer in Realism
Collocations
a realist painter
|a realist novelist
|a realist writer
|a realist artist
|French realists
|a realist tradition
|a realist style
|realist fiction
|realist painting
|realist detail
Synonyms
naturalist (Often suggests an even more detailed or harsher depiction of reality.)
|
representational artist (Broader term for art that depicts recognizable subjects.)
Antonyms
romantic (Emphasizes emotion and idealization rather than everyday reality.)
|
abstract artist (Does not aim to depict reality directly.)
Themes
art
|literature
|culture
Definition
A realist is an artist or writer who shows life as it really is.
An artist or writer who represents people and events in an accurate, lifelike way, especially as part of the Realism movement in art or literature.
NOUN
C1
TECHNICAL
4
Usage pattern:
a realist about [something] (in philosophy); a moral/scientific realist
As a scientific realist, she argues that successful theories describe real features of the world.
Tudományos realistaként azzal érvel, hogy a sikeres elméletek a világ valós sajátosságait írják le.
The seminar contrasted the realist and anti-realist positions on truth.
A szeminárium az igazságról vallott realista és antirealista álláspontokat vetette össze.
He calls himself a moral realist because he believes some actions are objectively wrong.
Meaning
person who supports philosophical realism
Collocations
a philosophical realist
|a scientific realist
|a moral realist
|a realist position
|realist metaphysics
|realist theory
|realist arguments
|a realist claim
|realists and anti-realists
|a realist view of truth
Synonyms
objectivist (Often stresses mind-independent facts or values; not identical in all contexts.)
Antonyms
anti-realist (Denies or questions mind-independent existence or truth in the relevant domain.)
|
idealist (In philosophy, treats mind or ideas as fundamental (varies by tradition).)
Themes
philosophy
|education
Definition
In philosophy, a realist believes some things are real even if nobody thinks about them.
A person who believes that some things (such as the external world, objects, or truths) exist independently of how humans think about or perceive them.
NOUN
C1
TECHNICAL
5
Usage pattern:
a realist; a realist on foreign policy; realists argue that [clause]
The realist argued that the treaty would fail without strong enforcement.
A politikai realista azzal érvelt, hogy a szerződés erős kikényszerítés nélkül kudarcot vallana.
Realists in international relations focus on power and security concerns.
A nemzetközi kapcsolatok realista irányzatának képviselői a hatalmi és biztonsági szempontokra összpontosítanak.
She’s a realist on foreign policy and doubts that goodwill alone prevents conflict.
Meaning
advocate of power-based politics
Collocations
a foreign-policy realist
|a realist strategist
|a realist view of geopolitics
|realist analysis
|realist thinkers
|realists argue that
|a realist framework
|realist assumptions
|realist school
|realist approach to diplomacy
Synonyms
realpolitik advocate (Often implies a hard-nosed, interest-based approach; more loaded term.)
Antonyms
idealist (Emphasizes values and ideals in foreign policy.)
|
utopian (Suggests unrealistic idealism about political outcomes.)
Themes
politics
|international_relations
Definition
In politics, a realist thinks countries act mainly to protect power and security.
A person who believes that politics, especially international relations, is mainly driven by power, security, and national interest rather than ideals.
Grammar
Dictionary form
realist
IPA
GB/ɹˈiəlɪst/
US/ɹˈiəlɪst/
Syllables & stress
real - ist (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (real)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: realist
- Plural: realists
Expressions
be a realist
1/bˈi ə ɹˈiəlɪst/
fixed phrase
act in a practical way
If you tell someone to be a realist, you want them to think practically.
Examples
- Be a realist—there’s no way we can finish all of this today.
- I’m trying to be a realist about how much we can save each month.
- He told her to be a realist about the costs before signing the contract.
Learner examples
- Be a realist about your budget.
- Try to be a realist.
hard-nosed realist
1/hˈɑɹd nˈoʊzd ɹˈiəlɪst/
fixed phrase
very tough practical person
A hard-nosed realist is practical and not easily moved by emotion.
Examples
- She’s a hard-nosed realist who won’t approve the project without clear numbers.
- As a hard-nosed realist, he warned that the plan depended on too many assumptions.
- They hired a hard-nosed realist to cut costs and simplify operations.
political realist
1/pəlˈɪtɪkəl ɹˈiəlɪst/
fixed phrase
power-focused political thinker
A political realist believes politics is mainly about power and interests.
Examples
- As a political realist, she doubted that speeches alone would change policy.
- The minister is seen as a political realist who focuses on what can pass in parliament.
- Political realists argue that national interest often outweighs moral goals.
social realist
1/sˈoʊʃəl ɹˈiəlɪst/
fixed phrase
artist focused on social reality
A social realist shows real life, especially social problems.
Examples
- The director is known as a social realist who films working-class neighborhoods.
- Her novels are social realist, focusing on housing, debt, and insecure jobs.
- The exhibition includes several social realist paintings from the 1930s.