Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

metaverse

American  
[met-uh-vurs] / ˈmɛt əˌvɜrs /

noun

Digital Technology.
  1. (in science fiction) a shared, realistic, and immersive computer simulation of the real world or other possible worlds, in which people participate as digital avatars.

  2. a theoretical or emergent networked online space with digitally persistent environments that people inhabit, as avatars, for synchronous interactions and experiences, accessing the shared virtual space through virtual reality, augmented reality, game consoles, mobile devices, or conventional computers.


metaverse British  
/ ˈmɛtəˌvɜːs /

noun

  1. a 3D virtual world, esp in an online role-playing game

  2. the universe as portrayed in a given work of fiction

"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 metaverse

From meta- ( def. ) + (uni)verse ( def. ); coined by U.S. author Neal Stephenson (born 1959) in his cyberpunk novel Snow Crash (1992)

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.

The metaverse may be something in our future, but neither the hardware nor the software was ready in 2022.

From Barron's

“We’re going to be metaverse first, not Facebook first,” he said as he unveiled the name change.

From Barron's

“We’re going to be metaverse first, not Facebook first,” he said as he unveiled the name change.

From Barron's

The reductions are within Meta’s Reality Labs division where employees work on the metaverse, digital spaces where people socialize, work, learn and do other online activities.

From Los Angeles Times

Zuckerberg is focused on trimming the metaverse group now because the technology hasn’t gained the traction the company had anticipated, the Journal previously reported.

From The Wall Street Journal