realisticrea‧lis‧tic /rɪəˈlɪstɪk/ ●●○ S3 adjective 
It’s just not realistic to expect a promotion so soon.realistic about You need to be realistic about the amount you can do in a day.► see thesaurus at possible2a realistic aim or hope is something that it is possible to achieve OPP unrealistic: Is this a realistic target? I don’t think they have a realistic chance of winning.3realistic pictures or stories show things as they are in real life: a realistic portrayal of life in Victorian BritainCOLLOCATIONS– Meaning 2nounsa realistic chance/prospect· We felt we had a realistic chance of beating England.a realistic option/alternative· We do not believe there is any realistic alternative.a realistic goal/target· Set realistic goals for yourself.a realistic expectation· There are no realistic expectations of improvement.a realistic figure/price· A more realistic figure for energy saving would be 20 percent.a realistic solution· Compromise is the only realistic solution.
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- realistic goals
- a realistic television drama
- A lot of people like paintings to look realistic.
- Planning your dream home? You can build a more realistic model with our new 3-D kit.
- The book includes some very realistic descriptions of life during the war.
- The game's 3-D graphics are amazingly realistic.
- We want to play in the championships, but right now that's not very realistic.
- But he believed that the subsequent provisions for bad debts on commercial loans were realistic.
- But the next hurdle will be putting realistic plates on the surface.
- In such situations, hopes for a less active, more cautious and realistic, less expansive foreign policy were slim.
- Over the course of the preoperational stage, children increasingly attempt to represent things through drawings and their efforts become more realistic.
- The only realistic question that poses itself is whether Britain can help to determine the how and the when of reunification.
- The second departure is concerned with more realistic assumptions about production.
- To make it as realistic as possible, more than 200 extras had to be employed for the two-day shoot.
- We think we have been more realistic than cynical.
THESAURUS
if something is possible, it can be done or achieved: · I think it’s possible that we could win the race.· I want to get back by 5 o'clock if possible.· Please let me know your answer as soon as possible.
if an idea or plan is feasible, it is possible and you can find a practical way of doing it: · We need to find out first if the idea is technically feasible.· It is not feasible to have security cameras in every part of the building.· Da Silva considered it feasible that uranium could be produced on an industrial scale.
possible and likely to be successful, and therefore worth doing: · Nuclear energy is the only viable alternative to coal or gas.· The product needs to be commercially viable.· We have yet to find a viable solution to the problem.· The company was no longer financially viable (=it could not make enough money to be able to continue).
a workable plan, system, or solution is one that can be done or used: · By early morning, they had arrived at a workable and safe solution.· The company would have a tough job convincing people that the deal was workable.
informal if something is doable, you have enough money, energy, or skill to do it: · This exercise programme is doable for most people.· Do you think the walk is doable?· Hosting great parties is fun, easy, and doable on any budget.· The book is full of interesting and doable recipes.
(also attainable formal) able to be achieved: · A 15% cut in carbon emissions is achievable.· Perfect democracy is not attainable, nor is perfect freedom or perfect justice.
if something is realistic, it seems sensible to think that it can be done or achieved: · a realistic target· Their expectations didn’t seem very realistic.· It is important to set yourself realistic goals.
Longman Language Activatorwhen pictures, films etc make things seem real use this about books, pictures, and films that show or describe things as they really are: · The book includes some very realistic descriptions of life during the war.· A lot of people like paintings to look realistic.· Planning your dream home? You can build a more realistic model with our new 3-D kit.
use this about pictures and models that look very like the real person or thing: · Outside the museum is a huge, lifelike model of a dinosaur.· The directors wanted the computer-generated images to look as lifelike as possible.
the quality in a painting, film, story etc that makes it seem real and believable: · The battle scenes are described with extraordinary realism.· His style combines plain language and gritty realism.
a film, play, story etc that is true to life , shows or describes things as they really are: · It's a great story, but not always true to life.· The film gives us a true to life picture of 1920s Chicago.
vivid descriptions, memories, dreams etc are so clear that they seem real: · The book gives a vivid account of the author's journey through northern Africa.· I loved listening to his vivid descriptions of life in Italy.· One of my most vivid memories is of my first day at school.· The drug can make people suffer hallucinations and vivid nightmares.
decisions/plans/ideas/actions a sensible decision, idea, plan etc is likely to have good results because it is based on good, practical reasons: · He gave me some very sensible advice.· If anyone has any sensible suggestions as to how to deal with this, please let me know.it is sensible to do something: · It would have been more sensible to save the money than to spend it all on clothes.the sensible thing to do (=used to give advice): · The sensible thing to do would be to rest until you feel better.
especially spoken if something makes sense , it seems a very sensible thing to do: · There are parts of the plan that simply don't make sense.it makes sense (for somebody) to do something: · It made sense for Sam to live nearer the college.· It may not make sense to rebuild the houses damaged by the floods.
especially spoken to seem to be the right and sensible thing to do: · Yes, I think a short meeting this afternoon would be a good idea.· "Should I phone him?" "I don't think that's a good idea."it's a good idea to do something: · It's a good idea to tell a friend if you are going on a date with someone you don't know well.
a reasonable idea, request, action etc seems sensible and fair, and you can understand the reasons for it: · I thought her request for more information was reasonable, but it was refused.· I'll go along with any reasonable plan.it is reasonable to assume/believe/suppose: · It's reasonable to assume that most prices will go up again.
based on facts and intelligent thinking, and not influenced by feelings or the imagination: · Education helps us to make rational decisions.· People's behaviour isn't always purely rational.
based on a good understanding of what is or is not possible: · The city authorities are trying to work out a practical solution to the problem of homelessness.· Starting my own business isn't a very realistic idea at the moment.· If you want to sell your home, be realistic about the price.
based on facts and what is likely to really succeed, but not always considering other things such as people's feelings, or attempting anything more exciting or risky: · Pragmatic considerations led the government to abandon pure Marxist policies.· We need a pragmatic approach to sex education in schools.
a logical action or decision seems to be clearly the right thing to do, because it is based on thinking intelligently about all the facts of a situation, and not based on feelings or emotions: · As I wanted to travel to other countries, studying languages was the logical choice.· This is the logical place to build a new airport.· It seemed logical to start by visiting the scene of the crime.
a wise decision or action is based on good judgement and on your experience of life: · "I've decided to apply for that job." "I think that's a very wise decision."· a wise investmentit is wise (for somebody) to do something: · He thought it might be wise not to tell her what had happened.· Do you think it's wise for him to travel alone?
according to what is generally accepted as being sensible and reasonable and no more: · Children should, within reason, be able to experiment with many different activities.· Within reason, the city does what it can to prevent traffic accidents.
people someone who is sensible is unlikely to do anything stupid, because they judge situations well and make good decisions: · Laura's a pretty sensible girl. I don't think she'd talk to strangers.· He's one of the few sensible people on the council.be sensible spoken: · Be sensible - you can't go out without a coat in this weather.sensible about: · People are far more sensible about what and how much they drink these days.
someone who is reasonable makes sensible decisions that are fair to everyone: · She's usually very reasonable as a boss, but now and again her temper flares up.· Let's try and discuss this in a calm and reasonable way.be reasonable spoken: · Be reasonable, Paul - I'm only trying to help.
someone who is responsible can be trusted to do what they should do and to think about the results of their actions: · We aim to educate our children to become socially responsible citizens.· I'm a responsible adult. I can make my own choices.
a child or young person who is mature behaves in a sensible way, as you would expect an older person to behave: · She's very mature for her age.· After two years of college, the students have a much more mature attitude.
if someone is rational , their actions are based on a clear understanding of the facts of a situation, and are not influenced by their feelings or imagination: · Taking action to defend yourself is a completely rational reaction if you're being attacked.· Many of the patients have long histories of drug abuse, and they're not always rational.
having the ability to understand situations and to know what is or is not possible: · She's a practical manager who realizes that a happy workforce is also a productive one.· The people of this country need to be more realistic - you can't have lower taxes as well as higher spending on health and pensions.· She is a tough, pragmatic, intuitive leader.
direct and dealing with things in a practical way, without wasting time on things that do not matter: · Mathews is a no-nonsense veteran of the police department.· Jason, with his no-nonsense approach, has been an asset to the project.
someone who is down-to-earth is practical and honest, and does not think they are more important, more intelligent etc than other people: · She's sophisticated, but also practical and down-to-earth.· People are surprised by what an unpretentious, down-to-earth guy he really is.
especially spoken if someone talks sense , they express sensible ideas or opinions that you agree with: · Someone who could talk sense would get my vote, but most politicians don't.
British /have your head screwed on right American use this about someone who will always behave sensibly in a difficult or confusing situation: · Don't worry about Sheila. She's got her head screwed on.· Anyone who can raise three such normal kids in Hollywood must have their head screwed on right.
able to think clearly and likely to behave in a sensible way, especially when other people are not being sensible: · I don't think any sane person would take his threats seriously.· It was a relief to hear one sane voice among all the shouting and hysteria.keep somebody sane: · Exercise keeps me sane. If I didn't exercise, the stress would get to me.
WORD SETSaesthete, nounagitprop, nounart gallery, nounartist, nounartwork, nounavant-garde, adjectivebaroque, adjectivecapture, verbceramics, nouncharacter, nounclassical, adjectiveclassicism, nouncompere, nouncontemporary, adjectiveconvention, nouncreative, adjectivecritical, adjectivecrossover, nouncubism, nouncultural, adjectiveculturally, adverbculture, nouncurator, nouncycle, noundrama, nouneisteddfod, nounepic, nouneponymous, adjectiveerotic, adjectiveerotica, nouneroticism, nounexhibit, verbexhibit, nounexhibition, nounexpress, verbexpression, nounexpressionism, nounextract, nounfictionalize, verbfigurine, nounfin de siècle, adjectiveflashback, nounformalism, nounfuturism, nounglaze, verbglaze, nounGothic, adjectivehandcrafted, adjectivehandicraft, nounhandmade, adjectivehigh priest, nounhistorical, adjectiveinterpretation, nounItalianate, adjectivelowbrow, adjectivemagnum opus, nounmarquetry, nounmasterpiece, nounmasterwork, nounmature, adjectivemedium, nounMFA, nounmiddlebrow, adjectiveminimalism, nounmotif, nounmuse, nounnarrator, nounnaturalism, nounneoclassical, adjectivenotice, nounoeuvre, nounoffering, nounopening, adjectiveopus, nounpan, verbparody, nounpastiche, nounpattern, nounpiece, nounpop art, nounportfolio, nounpostmodernism, nounprequel, nounpreview, nounproduce, verbproduction, nounrealism, nounrealistic, adjectiverehash, verbreview, nounreview, verbromantic, nounromanticism, nounroyalty, nounrubbish, nounsalon, nounscenario, nounscene, nounsensuous, adjectivesentimental, adjectivesequel, nounsequence, nounset piece, nounsetting, nounShakespearean, adjectiveshowing, nounskit, nounstory, nounstudio, nounstylistic, adjectivesurrealism, nounswansong, nounsynopsis, nountitle, nountrilogy, nountwo-dimensional, adjectiveuncut, adjectiveunexpurgated, adjectivevillain, nounwork, nounwork of art, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY Meaning 2nouns The film is not an accurate portrayal (=correct portrayal) of his life.
· We felt we had a realistic chance of beating England.
· We do not believe there is any realistic alternative.
· Set realistic goals for yourself.
· There are no realistic expectations of improvement.
· A more realistic figure for energy saving would be 20 percent.
· Compromise is the only realistic solution.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES (=the expectation that bad things can happen as well as good things)· The disease is not curable, and patients must have realistic expectations.
· Students are encouraged to set themselves realistic goals for academic improvement.· We pushed for what we thought were achievable goals
(=something that you can really choose to do)· I wanted to start my own business but financially it was never a realistic option.
The film is not an accurate portrayal (=correct portrayal) of his life.· The target is achievable, but only by hard work.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB· Be as realistic and objective as you can.· He said it's to be as realistic as we dare to make it.· To make it as realistic as possible, more than 200 extras had to be employed for the two-day shoot.· To be of maximum benefit, these estimates need to be as realistic as possible.· To make things as realistic as possible, the Sergeant Major made sure he was in good voice.· The danger is that this form of prosecution and monitoring becomes accepted by the parties of opposition as realistic.
· This is closely related to how realistic the programme is.· It is either an illusion, or a delusion, depending upon how realistic one thinks the belief to be.· Advisers will help you explore how realistic your idea is and guide you through the steps to getting started successfully.
· They learn to then shift from negative, self-defeating internal dialogue towards positive, more realistic, and confidence-building self-speech.· I also had a suspicious, ungenerous feeling about the reluctance of the white teachers to make use of more realistic books.· A more realistic figure, it admitted, was 20 percent.· Over the course of the preoperational stage, children increasingly attempt to represent things through drawings and their efforts become more realistic.· The majority now believed that Bunker's more realistic approach made more sense.· So now we decided that it would be more realistic to weight and sink all the rubbish we did not need.· At sea, also, time produced more realistic and utilitarian attitudes.· Nonformula romances were also becoming more realistic in their approaches.
· Of these, 6 per cent is the most realistic.
· Bereft of hope So far so realistic.· The exercise looks so realistic that many parents were convinced they had the real thing.· Here at the hospital, she had been so realistic about it, had known it could never develop into anything real.· It was so realistic a ceremony that several of the women cried.
· I think that the book is still very realistic and the boys are acting like animals.· These polar cases are obviously too extreme to be very realistic.· We then went to an exhibition of the salvaged artifacts with some very realistic looking wax work people amongst them.· This situation is not very realistic.· Male speaker It's absolutely excellent, really good fun, very realistic.· Roland had given up all thought, in any case not very realistic, of discussing the purloined letters with Blackadder.· Brilliantly designed, very realistic and, despite being a tad tricky to master at first, incredibly playable.· You don't get a hug and a kiss from Michaela when you finish, but the bikes are very realistic.
NOUN· An interesting piece of software called JustText offers a more realistic alternative.· The realistic alternative is to disarm imperialism by overthrowing it in its main bastions.· A more realistic alternative is to deduce which characteristics of organizations have the most impact on accounting.· Social organization, we learned, was conventional and man-made and there were often realistic alternatives.· If you realise that you can not make the schedule, then you need to negotiate a realistic alternative.
· Therefore, a starting point for any discussion of community care must be a realistic appraisal of informal systems.
· In contrast, the indigenous peoples have a much more realistic approach to agriculture.· The majority now believed that Bunker's more realistic approach made more sense.· However, a more realistic approach is to see trips as forming a chain, linking activities through the day.· A more realistic approach to leadership may focus on the situation.
· It is time to take a realistic assessment of your partner.· That editorial reflected a realistic assessment of the dilemma created by any government-sanctioned attempt to regulate salaries.· This was the beginning of realistic assessment of the situation.· But neither course should be embarked upon without a realistic assessment of the risks and rewards involved.· Sometimes a home visit is planned, for example by the physiotherapist, in order to make a realistic assessment.
· In this way, we lost any realistic chance to reaffirm the essential truth of John Prescott's commitment.· Why Forbes thought that he stood a realistic chance of success this year is a question that baffled observers.· Robert Carnwath feared that the Act was so confused that we could not go to court with a realistic chance of winning.· So do Portsmouth have any realistic chance of winning?
· If no such source is available, ask for a realistic estimate of potential costs on a stage by stage basis.· More realistic estimates are based on the assumption that fertility will gradually decline to around replacement level.
· Such evaluation must carry realistic expectations about the timescales and pace of change which is possible in partnership activities.
· The student is given the opportunity for self-appraisal and realistic goal setting.· Total elimination of seizures is often not a realistic goal in adults with partial or secondarily generalized seizures.· In most cases, therefore, short-term intervention with realistic goals should be the aim.· Of course, for most people, retiring at 50 is not a realistic goal.· It is essential to spell out some realistic goals.· It is important to help clients set realistic goals.
· The good news for Thames Valley cops is that the murder rate may now drop to a realistic level.
· We now have a much more realistic model of evolution than the monkeys typing Shakespeare gave us.· In a more realistic model with many goods, the problem would be less serious, although it will not disappear.· On the basis of this information proportions of population are allocated to each centre giving a realistic model of how people shop.· Again, a bundle of drinking straws glued together provides a realistic model.
· As in commercial aircraft, going it alone was never a realistic option.· For some, that may not be a realistic option.· Typically, this will be a realistic option if your pay has been cut for some reason.· This leaves only one realistic option a full scale takeover.· A whole history has been assimilated long before conscious self-criticism is a realistic option.· That is what I love in you ... Now the way I figured it I had six realistic options.
· A realistic portrayal of the life and times of the legendary outlaw well worth the visit.
· But it must be asked how far such autonomy is a realistic possibility.· With certain safeguards for patients who, for example, may require liver transplants in Philadelphia full range fundholding seems a realistic possibility.· A General Council of all the Churches does not seem to be a realistic possibility in the foreseeable future.
· Offered for sale at a realistic price, it represents an ideal investment or family purchase.· What's a realistic price for a tank like this?· At a time when house sales are few and far between, successful transactions are those where realistic prices are asked.
· Nigel Short has realistic prospects of an individual world title match.
· In these matters, I think the students may have a more realistic sense of the situation than the teacher.· It would be a four-year test, but acquiring any realistic sense of its impact would take much longer than that.· Some say that the effect may be positive in that children will develop a more realistic sense of what life is like.· There is no question but that agency rulemaking is lawmaking in any functional or realistic sense of the term....
· It may be that August 1 would now have to be a more realistic target date.· Those keeping to a strict 1,000 calories a day allowance will usually find this to be a realistic target.· Change doesn't happen overnight so we must continue to address real concerns, use real science and aim for realistic targets.· Target Greens are designed to produce more realistic targets for the golfers.· If he remembers to set realistic targets and play within himself, he can perform with credit.· Students will set themselves realistic targets for a job search programme and review skills and abilities in relation to future job-seeking activities.
· This is a realistic view of policing.· Ralph, unlike Jack, is becoming maturer and is starting to respect Piggy and his realistic views.· They must take a realistic view and look objectively when deciding which movements will best describe individuality.· Governing bodies should take a reasonable, optimistic and realistic view, not a highly unlikely state of success and well-being.· A realistic view of man Evil is all too apparent in our world.
· It's a more realistic way of looking at things.· Before we can deal with the family in any realistic way, though, we have to do some family bookkeeping.· The student will learn realistic ways of ensuring good nursing care even when the workload is heavy.· This caution will lead the writer to limit the number of questions set down in some realistic way.· Accepting an offer at market price may therefore be the only realistic way of realising their investment at its full value.· The pricing system thus reveals people's preferences in a realistic way.· In its very individual and grimly realistic way it is very romantic, but this is not pretty cinema!· A dramatised story of the operations of an imaginary business, which covers in a realistic way most aspects of business.
WORD FAMILYnounrealismrealistrealityunrealityrealizationadjectiverealunrealrealistic ≠ unrealisticadverbrealreallyrealistically ≠ unrealisticallyverbrealize
1judging and dealing with situations in a practical way according to what is actually possible rather than what you would like to happen OPP unrealisticit is not realistic to do something It’s just not realistic to expect a promotion so soon.realistic about You need to be realistic about the amount you can do in a day.► see thesaurus at possible2a realistic aim or hope is something that it is possible to achieve OPP unrealistic: Is this a realistic target? I don’t think they have a realistic chance of winning.3realistic pictures or stories show things as they are in real life: a realistic portrayal of life in Victorian BritainCOLLOCATIONS– Meaning 2nounsa realistic chance/prospect· We felt we had a realistic chance of beating England.a realistic option/alternative· We do not believe there is any realistic alternative.a realistic goal/target· Set realistic goals for yourself.a realistic expectation· There are no realistic expectations of improvement.a realistic figure/price· A more realistic figure for energy saving would be 20 percent.a realistic solution· Compromise is the only realistic solution.