Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary - realize

(realizes, realizing, realized) Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English. Note: in BRIT, also use 'realise' 1. If you realize that something is true, you become aware of that fact or understand it. As soon as we realised something was wrong, we moved the children away... People don’t realize how serious this recession has actually been... Once they realised their mistake the phone was reconnected again... ‘That’s my brother.’—‘Oh, I hadn’t realized.’ VERB: V that, V wh, V n, V • realization (realizations) There is now a growing realisation that things cannot go on like this for much longer... He nearly cried out at the sudden realization of how much Randall looked like him. N-VAR: usu N that, N of n 2. If your hopes, desires, or fears are realized, the things that you hope for, desire, or fear actually happen. Straightaway our worst fears were realised... VERB: usu passive, be V-ed • realization ...the realization of his worst fears. N-UNCOUNT: oft the N of n 3. When someone realizes a design or an idea, they make or organize something based on that design or idea. (FORMAL) Various textile techniques will be explored to realise design possibilities... VERB: V n 4. If someone or something realizes their potential, they do everything they are capable of doing, because they have been given the opportunity to do so. The support systems to enable women to realize their potential at work are seriously inadequate... = achieve VERB: V n 5. If something realizes a particular amount of money when it is sold, that amount of money is paid for it. (FORMAL) A selection of correspondence from P G Wodehouse realised ?1,232. VERB: V n • realization I have taken this course solely to assist the realisation of my assets for the benefit of all my creditors. N-VAR