Meanings
plural realisms
- countableuncountableA concern for fact or reality and rejection of the impractical and visionary.
- countableuncountableAn artistic representation of reality as it is.
- countableuncountablesciencesThe viewpoint that an external reality exists independent of observation.
Lenin in fact confused epistemological realism with materialism (he repeats several times that materialism consists of recognizing 'objective material reality', 'independent of the subject'-but if so, nearly every Catholic philosopher is a materialist)
1978 [1976], Leszek Kołakowski, translated by P[aul] S[teven] Falla, Main Currents of Marxism, volume II: The Golden Age, Oxford: Clarendon Press, translation of Główne nurty marksizmu: rozwój (in Polish), →ISBN, →OCLC, page 458 - countableuncountablehuman sciencesA doctrine that universals are real: they exist and are distinct from the particulars that instantiate them.
Synonyms & antonyms
antonym(s) of “doctrine concerning universals”
nounthe attribute of accepting the facts of life and favoring practicality and literal truth
noun(philosophy) the philosophical doctrine that physical objects continue to exist when not perceived
nounan artistic movement in 19th century France; artists and writers strove for detailed realistic and factual description
noun(philosophy) the philosophical doctrine that abstract concepts exist independent of their names
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*(H)reh₁-
- Proto-Indo-European*(H)reh₁ís
- Proto-Italic*reis
- Classical Latinrēs
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂el-
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂élisder.?
- Late Latinreālis
- Old Frenchree
- Middle Englishreal
- Englishreal
- Englishrealism
Translations
Bulgarian реали́зъм
- реали́зъм (realízăm)concern for fact or reality
Catalan realisme
- realismeconcern for fact or reality
Chinese Mandarin 現實主義 /现实主义, 唯實論 /唯实论
- 現實主義 /现实主义 (xiànshízhǔyì)concern for fact or reality
- 唯實論 /唯实论 (wéishílùn)doctrine that universals are real
- 實在論 /实在论 (shízàilùn)doctrine that universals are real
Czech realismus
- realismusconcern for fact or reality
Danish realismen
- realismenconcern for fact or reality
Dutch realisme
- realismeconcern for fact or reality
Esperanto realismo
- realismoconcern for fact or reality
Finnish realismi
- realismiconcern for fact or reality
French réalisme
- réalismeconcern for fact or reality
German Realismus
- Realismusconcern for fact or reality
Greek πραγματισμός
- πραγματισμός (pragmatismós)concern for fact or reality
Hebrew ריאליזם
- ריאליזם (real'is)concern for fact or reality
Hungarian realizmus
- realizmusconcern for fact or reality
Irish réadúlacht
- réadúlachtconcern for fact or reality
Italian realismo
- realismoconcern for fact or reality
Japanese 現実主義, 写実主義
- 現実主義 (genjitsushugi)concern for fact or reality
- 写実主義 (shajitsushugi)concern for fact or reality
- リアリズム (riarizumu)concern for fact or reality
- 実在論doctrine that universals are real
Norwegian Bokmål realisme
- realismeconcern for fact or reality
Polish realizm
- realizmconcern for fact or reality
Portuguese realismo
- realismoconcern for fact or reality
Romanian realism
- realismconcern for fact or reality
Russian реали́зм
- реали́зм (realízm)concern for fact or reality
Spanish realismo
- realismoconcern for fact or reality
Swedish realism
- realismconcern for fact or reality
Tagalog pagkamakatunay
- pagkamakatunayconcern for fact or reality
Turkish gerçekçilik
- gerçekçilikconcern for fact or reality
Yiddish רעאַליזם
- רעאַליזם (realizm)concern for fact or reality
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
realism. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/realism
“realism.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/realism. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “realism,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/realism.
Source: realism on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.