IRL

American

in real life (in contrast with communication and interaction online or in a fictional situation).

I play online video games with people I've never met IRL.

IRL British

abbreviation

text messaging in real life
Ireland (international car registration)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of IRL

From its use in digital communications

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.

See Examples For:

IRL

“It was the first time we worked together IRL for more than a day at a time,” Chaumond wrote.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026

That has changed in the time since online influencers have had IRL power.

From Salon ● Jul. 7, 2026

Sports franchises, and all IRL, or in real life, events are benefiting from a desire to be present.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 25, 2026

For the first time in a long time, IRL is winning out over AI, at least for the stock market.

From Barron's ● Mar. 5, 2026

I wanted to ridicule him for using chatspeak IRL, but I found myself lacking the energy.

From "Paper Towns" by John Green

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