Realist
/ˈriː.ə.lɪst/noun
A person who understands or represents situations as they really are, without idealization.
Did you know?The modern sense of “realist” grew from medieval philosophical debates over whether abstract ideas—or only concrete things—were truly real.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Latin
Latin
rēs
“Thing, matter, affair, or actual circumstance”
Late Latin
Latin
rēālis
“Relating to things; actual or substantial”
Medieval Latin
Latin
rēālismus
“Philosophical realism—the view that universals or abstract concepts have real existence”
18th Century
French
réaliste
“A person concerned with practical realities, later also an artist or writer committed to realistic representation”
19th Century
English
realist
“A person who accepts and depicts things as they are; an adherent of realism”