realize

verb

Etymology: PIE word *reh₁ís Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *(H)reh₁-der. Proto-Indo-European *(H)reh₁ís Proto-Italic *reis Latin rēs Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-der.? Proto-Italic *-ālis Late Latin -ālis Late Latin reālisder. Old French reelbor. Middle English real English real Proto-Indo-European *-id- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti Proto-Hellenic *-íďďō Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō)bor. Late Latin -izōder. Middle French -iserbor. Middle English -isen English -ize English realize From real (adjective) + -ize (suffix denoting the making of what is indicated by the word it is attached to), possibly modelled after French réaliser, Middle French réaliser (“to make real; to convert (something) into assets or cash”), from real (“actual, real”) + -iser (suffix denoting the making of what is indicated by the word it is attached to). Real is derived from Old French reel, from Latin reālis (“actual, real”), from rēs (“deed; event; matter; thing”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *reh₁ís (“goods; wealth”)) + -ālis (suffix forming adjectives of relationship).

1. To become aware of, understand, or appreciate (a fact or situation, especially something which has been true for some time).

   “He realized that he had left his umbrella on the train.”

   “She desperately yelled at her young daughter, frantic to make her realize what she had done.”

2. To sense (something) strongly or vividly as if real.

   “Over the mind of the tourist, visiting the Old World for the first time,—countries where have transpired thrilling events recorded in history, what an immensity of thought and feeling sweeps! It was thus with Natalie; she could not realize that she was treading in the footsteps of royalty, who living in long past days, had held sway over this land, had looked upon this land of "merrie England" as their home.”

   “That any civilized human being in this nineteenth century should not be aware that the earth travelled round the sun appeared to be to me such an extraordinary fact that I could hardly realize it.”

3. To cause (something) to seem real; to make realistic; specifically, to present (something) clearly to the mind, a person, (archaic) oneself, etc., so that it seems real.

   “Its true that Faith may be ſaid, as you ſpeak, to Realize ſalvation to the Soul; that is, vvhen the Soul doubteth vvhether there be indeed ſuch a Glory and Salvation to be expected and enjoyed by Believers, as Chriſt hath promiſed, here Faith apprehendeth it as Real or Certain, and ſo reſolves the doubt.”

   “[T]rue Faith is ſuch as realizeth Things abſent, remote and future. That it is not the nearneſs of a thing makes it real; but Faith ſeeth a Thing to be real, though afar off; vvhen vve are apt to judge many times of the reality of things, becauſe they are near.”

4. To convert (something imaginary or planned, as a goal or idea) into reality; to bring into real existence, to make real.

   “Near-synonyms: implement, execute; actualize, materialize, embody; accomplish”

   “The objectives of the project were never fully realized.”

5. To achieve (one's) potential.
6. To convert (an asset or property, especially investments such as bonds, shares, etc.) into a more easily usable form such as money, especially by selling the asset or property.

   “By realizing the company’s assets, the liquidator was able to return most of the shareholders’ investments.”

   “Profits from the investment can be realized at any time by selling the shares.”

7. To acquire (money, a profit, etc.) by selling an asset or property, through trade, etc.; also (followed by on), to make (money or a profit) on an investment, a venture, etc.

   “to realize large profits from a speculation”

   “The tvvo Perſons here mentioned vvere of Quality, each of vvhom in the time of the Miſſiſipi deſpis'd to realize above three hundred thouſand pounds.”

8. Of an asset or property: to generate (a specific amount of money or interest) when invested or sold.
9. To turn (an abstract linguistic object, especially a phoneme) into a speech sound actually used in a language.

   “The southern /v/ is realized as the voiced approximant [ʋ].”

   “The phonetic realization of schwa varies; […] Many (probably most) speakers realize it as [ø] or [œ] in other contexts as well. In Midi French, schwa is realized more frequently than in northern varieties, including in word-final position, where it generally (but not always) corresponds to etymological /ə/.”

10. To obtain an entity from (an abstract group or structure).
11. To arrange (a musical work written for a single performer) to be performed by an orchestra; to orchestrate.
12. To complete (a musical work which is incomplete or not fully notated).
13. Chiefly in Baroque music: to play an accompaniment, harmonies, etc., based on (a figured bass).
14. To have an actual or real experience of (something).
15. To become aware of or understand a fact or situation.
16. To cause to seem real; to make realistic.

    “[Johann Wolfgang von] Goethe never sculptured an Apollo, nor painted a Madonna. He gives us only sinful Magdalens and rampant Fauns. He does not so much idealize as realize.”

17. To convert an asset or property into a more easily usable form such as money.

    “A lucky purchase which he had made of shares in a copper-mine added very considerably to his wealth, and he realised with great prudence while this mine was still at its full vogue.”

    “Wary men took the alarm, and began to realize, a word now first brought into use to express the conversion of ideal property into something real.”

18. Followed by on or upon: to acquire money or a profit from the sale of an asset or property.
19. With an adverb like badly or well: of an asset or property being sold: to generate little or a lot of money.

    “The estate is expected to realize well as it comprises many valuable assets.”