REALIZE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does realize mean? 

• REALIZE (verb)
  The verb REALIZE has 6 senses:

1. be fully aware or cognizant of

2. perceive (an idea or situation) mentally

3. make real or concrete; give reality or substance to

4. earn on some commercial or business transaction; earn as salary or wages

5. convert into cash; of goods and property

6. expand or complete (a part in a piece of baroque music) by supplying the harmonies indicated in the figured bass

  Familiarity information: REALIZE used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• REALIZE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they realize    ... he / she / it realizes   
Past simple: realized   
Past participle: realized   
-ing form: realizing   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Be fully aware or cognizant of

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Synonyms:

agnise; agnize; realise; realize; recognise; recognize

Hypernyms (to "realize" is one way to...):

cognise; cognize; know (be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "realize"):

know (know the nature or character of)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s that CLAUSE

Derivation:

realization (coming to understand something clearly and distinctly)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Perceive (an idea or situation) mentally

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Synonyms:

realise; realize; see; understand

Context example:

I don't understand the idea

Verb group:

envision; fancy; figure; image; picture; project; see; visualise; visualize (imagine; conceive of; see in one's mind)

see (see and understand, have a good eye)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "realize"):

perceive (become conscious of)

appreciate; take account (be fully aware of; realize fully)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s that CLAUSE

Sentence example:

They realize that there was a traffic accident

Derivation:

realization (coming to understand something clearly and distinctly)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Make real or concrete; give reality or substance to

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Synonyms:

actualise; actualize; realise; realize; substantiate

Context example:

our ideas must be substantiated into actions

Hypernyms (to "realize" is one way to...):

create; make (make or cause to be or to become)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "realize"):

incarnate (make concrete and real)

express (manifest the effects of (a gene or genetic trait))

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sentence example:

Did he realize his major works over a short period of time?

Derivation:

realization (something that is made real or concrete)

realization (making real or giving the appearance of reality)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Earn on some commercial or business transaction; earn as salary or wages

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Synonyms:

bring in; clear; earn; gain; make; pull in; realise; realize; take in

Context example:

He clears $5,000 each month

Hypernyms (to "realize" is one way to...):

acquire; get (come into the possession of something concrete or abstract)

Verb group:

make (act in a certain way so as to acquire)

clear; net; sack; sack up (make as a net profit)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "realize"):

eke out; squeeze out (make by laborious and precarious means)

profit; turn a profit (make a profit; gain money or materially)

rake off (take money from an illegal transaction)

bring home; take home (earn as a salary or wage)

rake in; shovel in (earn large sums of money)

gross (earn before taxes, expenses, etc.)

bear; pay; yield (bring in)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 5

Meaning:

Convert into cash; of goods and property

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Synonyms:

realise; realize

Hypernyms (to "realize" is one way to...):

sell (exchange or deliver for money or its equivalent)

Domain category:

commerce; commercialism; mercantilism (transactions (sales and purchases) having the objective of supplying commodities (goods and services))

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

realization (a sale in order to obtain money (as a sale of stock or a sale of the estate of a bankrupt person) or the money so obtained)

Sense 6

Meaning:

Expand or complete (a part in a piece of baroque music) by supplying the harmonies indicated in the figured bass

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Synonyms:

realise; realize

Hypernyms (to "realize" is one way to...):

harmonise; harmonize (write a harmony for)

Domain category:

music (an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

realization (the completion or enrichment of a piece of music left sparsely notated by a composer)

realization (a musical composition that has been completed or enriched by someone other than the composer)

 Context examples 

All this he realized, but it did not affect his love for her, nor her love for him.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

He had been lucky in his profession; but spending freely, what had come freely, had realized nothing.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

If you take a step toward your dream directly on or  after the new moon, you stand a good chance of realizing it.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

Something rushed out at us and my heart sprang into my mouth, but I could have laughed when I realized that it was the cat.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The man had brought his gun halfway to his shoulder before he realized.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

For the first time I thoroughly realized the extent of the task before us.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

But now there was nothing more to be done, and I had leisure to realize my position.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The disease can be so mild you don't realize you have it or severe enough to make you weak.

(Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease, NIH: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)

Some people don't even realize they have it.

(Cardiomyopathy, NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)

To be fully aware of the value of something; realize fully.

(Appreciation, NCI Thesaurus)