What does realized mean?
Realized describes something that has been brought into existence, achieved, or accurately understood. It is also the past tense and past participle of realize, so a speaker may say that a person realized an ambition, became aware of a problem, or made an abstract plan concrete. The adjective is especially frequent in finance and business, where realized profit means profit that has actually been secured or recorded, as opposed to an unrealized or anticipated gain. In everyday discussion, realized can emphasize the difference between an intention and its concrete outcome: a realized dream is a dream that has actually been fulfilled. The word is common in both American and British English, though Americans generally spell it with z and British speakers more often use realised.
Brought into existence or achieved; correctly perceived or understood.
"The investment produced a realized gain of nearly 12 percent."
Common in business and financial language, especially in the collocations realized gain, realized loss, and realized value.
Past tense and past participle of realize: to become aware of something or to make something real or actual.
"The engineers realized the design after years of experimentation."
This form is also used adjectivally, as in a realized plan or a realized threat.
A dream can become a plan, a plan can become a project, and only a realized result proves the journey was worthwhile.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of realized
The word comes from realize, which entered English in the early 19th century from French réaliser, based on Latin realis, meaning real or actual. Its development preserved the idea of making something real, while the related English forms realism, realistic, and reality continue the same Latin root. Realized is the ordinary past-tense and past-participle form of realize and is now also widely used adjectivally.
Related word forms
How realized is actually used
The spelling realized is standard in American English; British English commonly uses realised. The adjective is especially common in financial and business contexts, as in realized gains or realized losses. In its verbal senses, realized is used mainly in the past tense and past participle.
Easily confused with realized
Realized is the usual American spelling, while realised is the standard British spelling of the same word.