What does "realistic" mean?

1. (sensible and achievable) accepting things as they are and not making plans that are impossible to achieve. 2. (looking like real life) showing things exactly as they look in real life, especially in art, films, or games.

How do you use "realistic"?

Often followed by the preposition 'about'.

realistic

adj.

US //ˌɹiəˈɫɪstɪk// UK //ɹiəlˈɪstɪk// re·al·is·tic

1 sensible and achievable (adj.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

accepting things as they are and not making plans that are impossible to achieve.

having or showing a sensible and practical idea of what can be achieved or expected.

Example

We need to be realistic about how much work we can finish today.

Example

The board urged the department heads to set realistic targets for the next quarter, rather than relying on overly optimistic growth projections.

Usage

Often followed by the preposition 'about'.
2 looking like real life (adj.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

showing things exactly as they look in real life, especially in art, films, or games.

representing objects, actions, or social conditions as they actually are without idealisation.

Example

The video game has very realistic graphics that make the forest look real.

Example

The novelist was praised for her realistic portrayal of working-class life in the industrial north during the late nineteenth century.
- abstract
- stylised

Origin

From realist + -ic.

Word family

Adjectiverealistic
Adverbrealistically