Realistically
adv.thoughtful, capableprofessional
Meaning 1
With practical awareness of actual limits, evidence, and likely outcomes.
Reach for it when setting credible expectations without abandoning ambition
Realistically, the repairs will take two weeks if the weather holds.
Choose between these
4- everyday
when workable constraints and action matter
not when Practically can also mean almost, and may not signal evidence-based expectations.
- everyday
when ordinary good judgment is enough
not when Sensibly does not specifically require an accurate view of conditions.
- professional
credibly
when the claim deserves belief
not when Credibility concerns the audience's trust, not whether the plan is realistic.
- professional
pragmatically
when results outweigh attachment to one method
not when Pragmatically can sound unprincipled when values are relevant.
Meaning 2
In a way that closely resembles real life.
Reach for it when praising a depiction, model, or simulation for lifelike accuracy
The training program realistically recreates a crowded emergency room.
Choose between these
5- everyday
when close visual resemblance to life is intended
not when Lifelike is normally adjectival and fits appearance better than behavior.
- warm
authentically
when truthful cultural or emotional detail matters
not when Authenticity concerns genuineness, not literal visual realism.
- professional
accurately
when factual correctness is the main standard
not when Accuracy may concern one detail rather than the whole lifelike effect.
- professional
convincingly
when the representation persuades its audience
not when A convincing depiction can be stylized rather than realistic.
- literary
naturalistically
when art deliberately follows observable life
not when Naturalistically names an artistic method and can sound specialist.
Said against
4- unrealistically
- naively
- artificially
- unconvincingly
It naturally appears in
3- plan realistically
The council chose to plan realistically for a gradual reopening.
- depicted realistically
The rural clinic was depicted realistically, including its limited storage.
- assess realistically
We can assess realistically what the small grant will cover.
Where this comes from
- wiktionary, English adverb sense 1: in a realistic or practical manner opens in a new tab for meaning 1 · retrieved 2026-07-26
- wiktionary, English adverb sense 2: in a lifelike or representationally accurate manner opens in a new tab for meaning 2 · retrieved 2026-07-26
The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.