real world
Americannoun
-
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.
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
AI also is good enough to run machines that can interact with the real world.
From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026
Two shows, games and spontaneous dance parties are hallmarks of the experience, as Disneyland’s live entertainment team sought to translate the show’s particular broadcast-based appeal to the real world.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 22, 2026
If those numbers are borne out in the real world, most people on GLP-1s may have some kind of undesirable GI effect from them.
From Slate • Mar. 22, 2026
If we couldn’t ever see the real world, they would re-create it in miniature for us here.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
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.