realism
UK[ˈrɪə.lɪ.zəm]US[ˈriː.ə.lɪ.zəm]
n
the quality or fact of representing a person, thing, or situation accurately or in a way that is true to life.
n
the attitude or practice of accepting a situation as it is and being prepared to deal with it accordingly.
n
the doctrine that universals or abstract concepts have an objective or absolute existence, often contrasted with nominalism.
Morpheme Breakdown
real
ism
real
actual, true
ism
doctrine, practice
Etymology
the word realism is a modern philosophical and artistic term constructed from classical components. its core, "real," descends from the latin res, meaning "thing" or "matter," which itself has a deep proto-indo-european ancestry in the root reh₁ís-, meaning "wealth, goods." the suffix "-ism" originates from greek -ismos, used to form nouns indicating a practice or system. the compound first emerged in scholastic philosophy to denote the belief that abstract universals are as "real" as physical objects. this literal sense of "thing-ness" was later extended to art and literature in the 19th century, signifying a dedication to depicting the "real" world truthfully, and further to general attitudes of pragmatic acceptance of facts.
Analysis
Structure: real (actual, true) + ism (doctrine, practice)
real: from latin realis (actual, relating to things), from res (thing, matter). functions as the core adjective root.
ism: from greek -ismos, a suffix forming nouns of action, state, or doctrine. functions as a noun-forming suffix indicating a practice, system, or philosophy.
Examples
the novel is celebrated for its gritty realism in portraying urban life.
his budget proposals were based on economic realism rather than political idealism.
in medieval philosophy, realism was a major point of contention with nominalism.