realize

Verb

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

1. (US, transitive) 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. (US, transitive) 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...1859, Ferna Vale [pseudonym; Emma V. Hallett], “We are Going Home”, in Natalie; or, A Gem among the Sea-weeds. […], Andover, Mass.: W[arren] F[ales] Draper, →OCLC, page 286
   • 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.1887, A[rthur] Conan Doyle, “A Study in Scarlet”, in Beeton’s Christmas Annual, London; New York, N.Y.: Ward, Lock & Co., part I (Being a reprint from the reminiscences of John H. Watson, M.D., […])...
3. (transitive) 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...1654, Richard Baxter, “Rich. Baxter’s Account Given to His Reverend Brother Mr T[homas] Blake of the Reasons of his Dissent from the Doctrine of His Exceptions in His Late Treatise of the Covenants....
   • [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.1684, [anonymous], “The Life of Mr. Henry Dorney”, in Henry Dorney, Divine Contemplations, and Spiritual Breathings of Mr. Henry Dorney: […], London: […] James Rawlins, for John Wright, […], →OCLC...

   Antonyms:

   derealize

4. (transitive, chiefly passive voice, slightly formal) 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.

   Synonyms:

   implement, execute, actualize, materialize, embody, accomplish

   Antonyms:

   disrealize

5. (reflexive, transitive) To achieve (one's) potential.
6. (transitive) 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. (transitive) 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.1735, Alexander Pope, “Notes. Epistle to Lord Bathurst, Ver. 20.”, in The Works of Mr. Alexander Pope, volume II, London: […] J. Wright, for Lawton Gilliver […], →OCLC, page 211
8. (transitive) Of an asset or property: to generate (a specific amount of money or interest) when invested or sold.
9. (transitive) 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...2016, John Charles Smith, “French and Northern Gallo-Romance”, in Adam Ledgeway, Martin Maiden, editors, The Oxford Guide to the Romance Languages (Oxford Linguistics; Oxford Guides to the World’s...
10. (transitive) To obtain an entity from (an abstract group or structure).
11. (transitive) To arrange (a musical work written for a single performer) to be performed by an orchestra; to orchestrate.
12. (transitive) To complete (a musical work which is incomplete or not fully notated).