rea‧lize S1 W1 (also realise British English) /ˈrɪəlaɪz/ verb [transitive not usually in progressive]
[Word Family: noun: realism, realist, reality, unreality, realization; adverb: real, really, realistically ≠ unrealistically; adjective: real, unreal, realistic ≠ unrealistic; verb: realize]
[Date: 1600-1700; Language: French; Origin: réaliser, from Old French real; ⇒ real¹]

1. UNDERSTAND to know and understand something, or suddenly begin to understand it
realize (that)
I suddenly realized that the boy was crying.
Do you realize you’re an hour late?
realize who/what/how etc
I’m sorry, I didn’t realize who you were.
It took us a while to realize the extent of the tragedy.
It was only later that I realized my mistake.
► Do not say that you ‘realize about/of something’. Say that you realize something.

2. ACHIEVE formal to achieve something that you were hoping to achieve:
She never realized her ambition of winning an Olympic gold medal.
a young singer who has not yet realized her full potential (=achieved as much as she can achieve)

3. sb’s worst fears were realized used to say that the thing that you were most afraid of has actually happened:
His worst fears were realized when he heard that Chris had been arrested.

4. MONEY
a) formal to obtain or earn an amount of money:
The campaign realized $5000.
We realized a small profit on the sale of the house.
b) realize an asset technical to change something that you own into money by selling it

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲