nonrealistically
|non-real-is-tic-al-ly|
🇺🇸
/ˌnɑnriəˈlɪstɪk/
🇬🇧
/ˌnɒnriəˈlɪstɪk/
(nonrealistic)
not true to life / lacking realism
Etymology
'nonrealistically' originates from Modern English, formed by the negative prefix 'non-' (from Latin 'non' meaning 'not') added to 'realistic' with the adverbial suffix '-ally'.
'realistic' comes into English via French 'réaliste' (19th century) and from Latin roots such as 'realis' (from 'res' meaning 'thing'); 'non-' as a productive negative prefix was attached to form 'nonrealistic', and adding '-ally' produced 'nonrealistically'.
Originally 'real' (from Latin 'res') referred to things or facts; 'realistic' came to mean 'relating to reality or practical matters'. With the negative prefix, the phrase evolved to mean 'not realistic', and the adverb now means 'in a way that is not realistic'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adverb 1
in a manner that is not realistic; in a way that does not accurately represent practical reality or likely outcomes.
They budgeted nonrealistically, assuming costs would stay low throughout the project.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/11/18 17:07