Definitions for: Realism


[n] the attribute of accepting the facts of life and favoring practicality and literal truth
[n] the philosophical doctrine that abstract concepts exist independent of their names
[n] the philosophical doctrine that physical object continue to exist when not perceived
[n] an artistic movement in 19th century France; artists and writers strove for detailed realistic and factual description
[n] the state of being actual or real; "the reality of his situation slowly dawned on him"



Webster (1913) Definition: Re"al*ism, n. [Cf. F. r['e]alisme.]
1. (Philos.)
(a) An opposed to nominalism, the doctrine that genera and
species are real things or entities, existing
independently of our conceptions. According to realism
the Universal exists ante rem (Plato), or in re
(Aristotle).
(b) As opposed to idealism, the doctrine that in sense
perception there is an immediate cognition of the
external object, and our knowledge of it is not
mediate and representative.

2. (Art & Lit.) Fidelity to nature or to real life;
representation without idealization, and making no appeal
to the imagination; adherence to the actual fact.

Synonyms: naive realism, Naturalism, Platonism, reality, realness

Antonyms: irreality, unreality

See Also: actuality, art movement, artistic movement, fact, philosophical doctrine, philosophical theory, practicality

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