1. people who accept and deal with situations as they actually are rather than as they might wish them to be
Usage: plural of realist
2. artists or writers who represent things as they appear in real life without idealization
Usage: art and literature

Examples

• The realists in the group warned against setting unrealistic goals.
• Political realists understand that compromise is often necessary.
• The 19th-century realists painted ordinary people in everyday situations.
• Unlike the optimists, the realists prepared for potential setbacks.
• Literary realists focused on depicting social conditions accurately.
• The realists argued that the budget projections were too optimistic.