realize

re·al·ize

Use realize in a sentence

Mark didn't realize how much housework his wife did until she went out of town for a week.

verb

Realize is defined as to achieve or fully understand.

An example of to realize is to finally understand the meaning of a poem.

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MLA Style

"realize." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 19 December 2018. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/realize>.

APA Style

realize. (n.d.). Retrieved December 19th, 2018, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/realize

realize

transitive verb

-·ized·, -·iz·ing

to make real; bring into being; achieve
to make appear real
to understand fully; apprehend
to convert (assets, rights, etc.) into money
to gain; obtain: to realize a profit
to be sold for, or bring as profit (a specified sum)

Origin of realize

real (adjective) + -ize, after French réaliser

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MLA Style

"realize." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 19 December 2018. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/realize>.

APA Style

realize. (n.d.). Retrieved December 19th, 2018, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/realize

realize

verb

re·al·ized, re·al·iz·ing, re·al·iz·es

verb

transitive

To comprehend completely or correctly.
To bring into reality; make real: He finally realized his lifelong ambition to learn how to play the violin.
To make realistic: a film that realizes court life of the 1600s.
To obtain or achieve, as gain or profit: She realized a substantial return on the investment.
To bring in (a sum) as profit by sale.

verb

intransitive

To exchange holdings or goods for money.

Origin of realize

French réaliser from Old French from real real ; see real ¹.

Related Forms:

re′al·iz′a·ble
adjective

re′al·iz′er
noun

THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Link/Cite

Link to this page

Cite this page

MLA Style

"realize." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 19 December 2018. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/realize>.

APA Style

realize. (n.d.). Retrieved December 19th, 2018, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/realize

Verb

(third-person singular simple present realizes, present participle realizing, simple past and past participle realized)

To make real; to convert from the imaginary or fictitious into the actual; to bring into concrete existence; to accomplish.
The objectives of the project were never fully realized.
To become aware of a fact or situation.
He realized that he had left his umbrella on the train.
To cause to seem real; to impress upon the mind as actual; to feel vividly or strongly; to make one's own in apprehension or experience.
(business) To acquire as an actual possession; to obtain as the result of plans and efforts; to gain; to get
to realize large profits from a speculation
(business, finance) To convert any kind of property into money, especially property representing investments, as shares, bonds, etc.
Profits from the investment can be realized at any time by selling the shares. By realizing the company's assets, the liquidator was able to return most of the shareholders' investments.

Related terms

Origin

Attested since 1610, from French rÃ©aliser, from Middle French real (“actual"), from Old French reel, from Latin realis, from res (“thing, event, deed, fact"); as if real +"Ž -ize.