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Synonyms

real world

American  
[ree-uhl, reel] / ˈri əl, ril /

noun

  1. the realm of practical or actual experience, as opposed to the abstract, theoretical, or idealized sphere of the classroom, laboratory, etc..

    recent college graduates looking for jobs in the real world of rising unemployment.

Other Word Forms

  • real-world adjective

Etymology

Origin of real world

First recorded in 1960–65

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.

That matters because in the real world, A.I. use comes in a spectrum.

From Slate • Apr. 17, 2026

Both show up consistently in the real world.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 16, 2026

“He’s not crazy, he only pretends to be” isn’t a viable defense in the real world.

From Salon • Apr. 10, 2026

Models that learn the physics and dynamics of the real world from video data to predict future states are becoming more important, the analysts add.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

The left-behind logic of the real world came slanting down like shafts of sun through the surface of the sea, and he began to grasp that none of this was real.

From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.