neorealism

[ nee-oh-ree-uh-liz-uhm ]

noun

1. (sometimes initial capital letter) any of various movements in literature, art, etc., that are considered as a return to a more realistic style.
2. a philosophy developed chiefly by 20th-century American philosophers, including Montague and Santayana, characterized by a presentationist epistemology and by the assertion of the real status of universals.
3. Movies. a style of filming prominent in Italy after World War II, characterized by a concern for social issues and often shot on location with untrained actors.

neorealism

/ ˌniːəʊˈriːəlɪzəm /

noun

1. films a movement to depict directly the poor in society: originating in postwar Italy

Derived Forms

• ˌneoˈrealist, nounadjective

Other Words From

• neo·real·ist noun adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of neorealism¹

First recorded in 1915–20; neo- + realism

Example Sentences

One of the founders of Italian neorealism, Visconti apparently didn’t bother introducing himself to the young French actor.

From New York Times

They borrowed from French New Wave, Italian neorealism and Brazil’s Cinema Novo to offer an unblinkered look at everyday Black life, often filming in Watts and other Black neighborhoods in and around Los Angeles.

From New York Times

Not everyone bought the idea, however, that Nemes’ death-camp neorealism was ultimately any less slick or manipulative than Spielberg’s more classical suspense-thriller technique.

From Los Angeles Times

Call it pop art, meta-noir, sci-fi neorealism or the underground precursor to the overblown, effects-driven superhero movies of the 21st century.

From New York Times

Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie,” an exuberant, sometimes exhaustingly clever piece of Mattelian neorealism, opens with an extended, heavily trailer-spoiled homage to “2001: A Space Odyssey.”

From Los Angeles Times