Word
realize
Phoneticsre·al·ize
/ˈɹiəˌɫaɪz/
UK spelling · realise
Definitions
01to understand
v. to suddenly understand a situation or become aware of a fact.
v. to become aware of, understand, or appreciate a fact or situation, often one that has existed for some time.
“I didn't realize that the shop was closed on Mondays until I got there.”
“Only after reviewing the year-end data did the board realize that their initial projections had been overly optimistic.”
Pitfall
I am realizing the truth now.
I realize the truth now.
In its sense of 'understanding', realize is a stative verb and is rarely used in the continuous (-ing) form.
Synonyms
Antonyms
02to make real
v. to make a dream, plan, or hope happen in real life.
v. to convert an abstract idea, goal, or plan into reality.
“She finally realized her dream of opening her own bakery.”
“The architect's vision was fully realized when the glass pavilion was completed ahead of the summer festival.”
03to sell for profit
v. to sell something you own to get the money from it.
v. to convert an asset or property into money, typically by selling it.
“The company had to sell its offices to realize its assets.”
“The investors decided to realize their gains after the stock price hit an all-time high in the third quarter.”
Formal · Technical
Usage
Often used with 'assets' or 'investments' as the direct object.
Antonyms
04linguistics
v. to make the actual sound of a letter or word when speaking.
v. to give concrete form to an abstract linguistic unit, such as a phoneme, in actual speech.
“In some accents, the letter R is not realized at the end of words.”
“The study examines how different social groups realize the dental fricative in informal conversation.”
Academic · Technical
Synonyms
05music
v. to complete or perform a piece of music from a simple outline.
v. to complete or flesh out a musical sketch or a figured bass, especially in Baroque music.
“The pianist had to realize the harmony from the composer's basic notes.”
“The ensemble performed a newly realized version of the unfinished sonata, staying true to the composer's original style.”
Technical · Formal
Confusables
Discover is for finding something that already existed in the world; realize is for a sudden shift in your own understanding.
RememberDiscover is finding a place; realize is finding a thought.
Notice is for physical observation through the senses; realize is for a mental shift in understanding or sudden awareness of a fact.
RememberNotice with your eyes; realize with your brain.
Realize means becoming aware of a fact or truth, not physically creating or making something real.
RememberRealize = Recognize a thought.
Understand is the ongoing state of knowing how something works; realize is the sudden moment of becoming aware of a fact.
RememberUnderstand is a state; realize is a spark.
Etymology
PIE word *reh₁ís From real (adjective) + -ize (suffix denoting the making of what is indicated by the word it is attached to), possibly modelled after French réaliser, Middle French réaliser (“to make real; to convert (something) into assets or cash”), from real (“actual, real”) + -iser (suffix denoting the making of what is indicated by the word it is attached to). Real is derived from Old French reel, from Latin reālis (“actual, real”), from rēs (“deed; event; matter; thing”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *reh₁ís (“goods; wealth”)) + -ālis (suffix forming adjectives of relationship).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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englishreference.com/q/realize