world-building

American  

[wurld-bil-ding] / ˈwɜrldˌbɪl dɪŋ /

world building or worldbuilding

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.

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Other Word Forms

• world-build
  verb (used without object)

Etymology

Origin of world-building

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

Example Sentences

No, but this buoyant comedy-drama combines all of his storytelling talents: the ensemble world-building of “Boogie Nights,” the shambolic misadventures of “Inherent Vice,” the domestic inquisitions of “Magnolia” and the probing psychology of “The Master.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 22, 2026

When Elizabeth writes of stepping into her gleaming kitchen to “test the crumbly brown goodness of the toasted veal cutlets à la Connecticut,” she is not so much lying as world-building.

From Salon • Dec. 25, 2025

Le Guin’s world-building and audacious ideas make many other novels feel two-dimensional.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 12, 2025

Lee’s movies might reflect the world, but he has perfected world-building of his own.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 20, 2025

They’d spent a small fortune on in-app purchases: skins and maps in Minecraft, V-Bucks in Fortnite, unlimited lives and gems in a new multiplayer world-building game.

From "Millionaires for the Month" by Stacey McAnulty