Réalisiste

Réalisiste is a term sometimes used to refer to a person who adheres to realism, but it is not standard in French. The more common form in everyday and scholarly French is réaliste, used both as an adjective and as a noun meaning “a realist.” When the suffix -iste is attached to a root, it typically designates a practitioner or advocate of a doctrine or method; however, in standard French the expected noun for a realist is réaliste rather than réalisiste. As a result, réalisiste appears primarily as a rare or nonstandard variant in some texts.

In philosophy, realism is the view that certain aspects of reality exist independently of perception or thought. A person who holds such a position would ordinarily be described as a réaliste. In the arts and literature, realism (réalisme) refers to movements and practices that aim to depict subjects truthfully, without idealization; adherents are usually called réalistes, while réalisiste is seldom used in this context.

Usage and interpretation: if a text uses réalisiste, readers should consider it likely to be an idiolectal or historical variant, or a stylistic choice by the author. In contemporary French, préférence is given to réaliste to denote both the philosophical stance and the artistic approach.

See also: Realism (philosophy), Realism in art, Realist.

Notes: For precise meaning, consult a French dictionary or the author’s own terminology, but expect réaliste to be the standard term.