realm

noun

ˈrelm How to pronounce realm (audio)
Synonyms of realm
1
: kingdom sense 3
2
: sphere, domain
within the realm of possibility
3
: a primary marine or terrestrial biogeographic division of the earth's surface

Synonyms of realm

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of realm in a Sentence

new discoveries in the realm of medicine in political and legal realms
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Daughter of reggaetón act Wisin and signed to his label, La Base Music Group, the young Puerto Rican act is carving her own path in the Christian music realm. — Tere Aguilera, Billboard, 26 Aug. 2026 How Clarke reached this rarefied realm of cinematic creation—and then largely left it behind—is an exemplary story of artistic psychology, film history, and social politics. — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2026 MacDonald and editor Phil Hignett have a keen, witty sense of how the online realm crashes offline living, seamlessly integrating deadly-accurate TikTok parodies into the film’s breezy narrative flow. — Guy Lodge, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026 But our most fundamental theory takes place somewhere else, in von Neumann’s vast realm of possibilities. — Quanta Magazine, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for realm

Word History

Etymology

Middle English realme, from Anglo-French, alteration of Old French reiame, from Latin regimen control — more at regimen

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of realm was in the 13th century

Phrases Containing realm

Rhymes for realm

See All Rhymes for realm

Browse Nearby Words

really
realm
realness
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Realm.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/realm. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

realm

noun
ˈrelm How to pronounce realm (audio)
1
: kingdom sense 1
2
: field of influence or activity
the realm of art

More from Merriam-Webster on realm

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about realm

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All