réalisme

realism

noun reh-ah-LEEZM Rare

Usage Note

Réalisme denotes both the general quality of being realistic and the 19th-century artistic and literary movement that sought to depict everyday life truthfully. Le réalisme in literature is associated with Balzac and Flaubert. In politics, réalisme often implies pragmatism over idealism. The related adjective is réaliste, and the person is un réaliste / une réaliste.

Examples

"Le réalisme de Courbet a choqué à l'époque."

Natural Translation

Courbet's realism was shocking at the time.

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