Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

photorealism

American  
[foh-toh-ree-uh-liz-uhm] / ˌfoʊ toʊˈri əˌlɪz əm /
Sometimes photo realism

noun

(sometimes initial capital letter)
  1. a style of painting flourishing in the 1970s, especially in the U.S., England, and France, and depicting commonplace scenes or ordinary people, with a meticulously detailed realism, flat images, and barely discernible brushwork that suggests and often is based on or incorporates an actual photograph.


photorealism British  
/ ˌfəʊtəʊˈrɪəˌlɪzəm /

noun

  1. a style of painting and sculpture that depicts esp commonplace urban images with meticulously accurate detail

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • photorealist noun
  • photorealistic adjective

Etymology

Origin of photorealism

First recorded in 1960–65; photo- + realism

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Nonfunctional hyperrealism, yes; Photorealism, no.

From Los Angeles Times

We’re not talking about coal mining or Amazon home delivery here, but Photorealism does look laborious.

From Los Angeles Times

Photorealism has always been confusing.

From Los Angeles Times

“Ordinary People — Photorealism and the Work of Art Since 1968” highlights two aspects, both keyed to its somewhat cumbersome title.

From Los Angeles Times

The art world was dismissing the popular reception of Photorealism with a similarly narrow-minded explanation: Ordinary people, whose experience was being represented, liked it.

From Los Angeles Times