suddenly understood or became aware of something; made something real or actual.
From French 'réaliser,' combining 'real' (from Latin 'realis' meaning 'relating to things') and the suffix '-ize.' The meaning evolved from 'to make real' to 'to understand' because understanding makes abstract ideas feel real.
The word 'realized' has two completely different meanings—'I realized the problem' (became aware) and 'I realized my dreams' (made them real)—and they both come from the same root because understanding something and making it happen are both ways of bringing ideas into existence.
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