world-building

or world·build·ing

[ wurld-bil-ding ]

noun

1. the process of developing a detailed and plausible fictional world for a novel or story, especially in science fiction, fantasy, and video games:

   Drawing a convincing map with boundaries and landscape features is a natural starting point for world-building.

Other Words From

• world-build verb (used without object)

Word History and Origins

Origin of world-building¹

First recorded in 1820–25, referring to or contrasted with the Biblical creation of the world

Example Sentences

She’s all big brown eyes and a pout, which she puts to marvelous use in her performance as the petulant princess of Shiz, but her character turns are quite flat and the world-building of this school could have been so much sharper and funnier.

From Los Angeles Times

World-building is a big element in your comedy — creating characters and plot lines in a show like “Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!” as well as in your stand-up or mockumentaries like “Mister America.”

From Los Angeles Times

How does your approach to world-building in music differ from comedy?

From Los Angeles Times

Almost all of the world-building in the show, you can point to a word or a phrase in the song.”

From Los Angeles Times

It is difficult to imagine that “Downton,” even with its exquisite period-piece world-building, solid cast and deft writing, would have achieved astonishing-hit status without Smith at its center.

From Los Angeles Times