real world

American  

[ree-uhl, reel] / ˈri əl, ril /

noun

real worlds plural

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

Derived Forms

• real-world
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• real worlds
  plural

Etymology

Origin of real world

First recorded in 1960–65

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

real world

There’s little mystery about what has come between Trump’s ambition and the real world.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026

Therefore industrial players are a good real world test case for the implementation of AI.

From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026

The fertility regulator, the HFEA, says that there are far fewer support groups - either online or in the real world - for men than for women.

From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026

The study, titled "Invasive goldfish trigger a regime shift in experimental lake ecosystems of varying trophic state," used large outdoor freshwater mesocosms designed to mimic real world lake conditions.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 26, 2026

I want to know the real world better.

From "What If It's Us" by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera

Related Words

• here and now