magic realism

UK/ˈmad͡ʒɪk ˈɹiəlɪzəm/US/ˈmæd͡ʒɪk ˈɹiəlɪzəm/

noun

A literary style or genre that combines naturalistic details and narrative with surreal or dreamlike elements.

OriginGerman Magischer Realismus →
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Meanings

nounmagic realism (usually uncountable, plural magic realisms)

plural magic realisms · alternative magical realism

  1. uncountableusuallyA literary style or genre that combines naturalistic details and narrative with surreal or dreamlike elements.
    1 more example

    Perhaps the best news to come out of the nominations was the brightened box-office prospects for such films as Benh Zeitlin's Beasts of the Southern Wild, a dazzling piece of magic realism pieced together from just $1.8m, some rusty bathtubs and whatever Louisiana bric-a-brac its youthful collective of film-makers could lay their hands on; […]

    2013 January 11, Tom Shone, “Oscar nominations pull a surprise by showing some taste – but will it last?”, in The Guardian

Origin

  1. GermanMagischer Realismus
  2. Englishmagic realism

Calque of German Magischer Realismus, first referring to the anti-expressionist artistic movement New Objectivity (1925), later applied to literature, especially in Latin America where it is known as realismo mágico.

More words from German

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic وَاقِعِيَّةُ سَحَرِيَّةٍ
  • وَاقِعِيَّةُ سَحَرِيَّةٍ (wāqiʕiyyatu saḥariyyatin)Translations
Chinese Cantonese 魔幻現實主義 /魔幻现实主义
  • 魔幻現實主義 /魔幻现实主义 (mo¹ waan⁶ jin⁶ sat⁶ zyu² ji⁶ mo¹ waan⁶ jin⁶ sat⁶ zyu² ji⁶)Translations
Chinese Mandarin 魔幻現實主義 /魔幻现实主义
  • 魔幻現實主義 /魔幻现实主义 (móhuàn xiànshízhǔyì)Translations
French réalisme magique
  • réalisme magiqueTranslations
German magischer Realismus
  • magischer RealismusTranslations
Hindi जादुई यथार्थवाद
  • जादुई यथार्थवाद (jāduī yathārthavād)Translations
Japanese マジックリアリズム
  • マジックリアリズムTranslations
Polish realizm magiczny
  • realizm magicznyTranslations
Spanish realismo mágico
  • realismo mágicoTranslations
Swedish magisk realism
  • magisk realismTranslations
Turkish büyülü gerçekçilik
  • büyülü gerçekçilikTranslations
Vietnamese hiện thực huyền ảo
  • hiện thực huyền ảoTranslations
Cite this entry
APA

magic realism. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/magic%20realism

MLA

“magic realism.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/magic%20realism. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “magic realism,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/magic%20realism.

Source: magic realism on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.