1. in a way that is practical and based on what is actually possible or likely to happen
2. in a way that shows things as they actually are, without making them seem better or worse

Examples

• Realistically, we won’t finish the project until next month.
• She needs to think realistically about her chances of getting into that college.
• The movie portrayed war realistically, showing both its horrors and heroism.
• Realistically speaking, the team has little hope of winning the championship.
• The artist painted the landscape realistically, capturing every detail.
• We need to budget realistically for our vacation expenses.
• Realistically, most students will need extra help with this difficult subject.