Realm Meaning
/ɹɛlm/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA territory or state, as ruled by an absolute authority, especially by a king; a kingdom.
nounA territory or state, as ruled by an absolute authority, especially by a king; a kingdom., An otherworldly dimension or domain — magical, ethereal, or otherwise.
Sentence Examples
It is not outside of the realm of possibility.
The king's realm was terrorized by a dragon.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The king ruled over a vast ____ that stretched from sea to mountain.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The discovery opened up an entirely new ____ of scientific inquiry that had not existed before.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English rewme, realme, reaume, from Old French reaume, realme, reialme (“kingdom”), of unclear origins. A postulated *rēgālimen (“domain, kingdom”), Late Latin or Vulgar Latin cross of regimen with rēgālis is usually cited. The modern spelling predominates from around 1600. The modern pronunciation with /l/ is either a spelling pronunciation or influenced by the etymology.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"And, of this island realm, he and his companion were the undisputed sovereigns."
— 1874, Horatio Alger, “Chapter XXXI”, in Brave and Bold:
"Why should we despise anything in the realm of Buddha?"
— 1907, Tada Kanai, “The World and How to Pass Through It”, in Arthur Lloyd, transl., Seven Buddhist Sermons:
"One thing more which the scientific man does is to accord primacy to that realm of truth which is primary in importance."
— 1922, Judson Eber Conant, “Truth Must be Classified Scientifically”, in The Church The Schools and Evolution:
"At home in Moscow, Mikhail Sergeyevitch Gorbachev, who had launched a campaign to rejuvenate the Soviet realm […]"
— 2006 November 22, Christian Neef, “Diary of a Collapsing Superpower”, in Spiegel Magazine:
"In order to grant the rich these pleasures, the social contract is reconfigured. […] The public realm is privatised, the regulations restraining the ultra-wealthy and the companies they control are abandoned, and Edwardian levels of inequality are almost fetishised."
— 2013 May 17, George Monbiot, “Money just makes the rich suffer”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 188, number 23, page 19:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The king ruled over a vast ____ that stretched from sea to mountain.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The discovery opened up an entirely new ____ of scientific inquiry that had not existed before.