real world
Americannoun
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.
In the real world, underspending is often blamed on uncertainty.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 16, 2026
Just because such comparisons are almost laughably inept doesn’t mean they don’t have real world stakes.
From Salon • Apr. 14, 2026
In the real world, Firefox had other security mitigations that would have stopped the attack, which would have made more work for real-world hackers.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026
“In the real world, you’re allowed to have people come over. You have visitors. That’s part of keeping your sanity, you know?”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 5, 2026
“Sorry, but I don’t live in a fairy tale. I live in the real world, where people solve their...”
From "Five Feet Apart" by Rachael Lippincott
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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.