aware or expressing awareness of things as they really are
"a realistic description"
"a realistic view of the possibilities"
"a realistic appraisal of our chances"
"the actors tried to create a realistic portrayal of the Africans"
representing what is real; not abstract or ideal
"realistic portraiture"
"a realistic novel"
"in naturalistic colors"
"the school of naturalistic writers"
Expressed or represented as being accurate, practicable, or not idealistic.
"The proposal was realistic because it accounted for our limited budget and time constraints."
In plain English: Realistic means something that is true to life and possible based on how things actually are.
"The artist painted a very realistic portrait that looked exactly like his friend."
Usage: Use realistic to describe plans that are achievable and grounded in reality rather than overly optimistic. This word often contrasts with idealistic when discussing goals or expectations about the future.
The word realistic comes from combining the noun realist with the suffix -ic. It entered English to describe something that corresponds closely to reality or is true to life.