real-life
adjective
existing or happening in reality.
real-life
American
[ree-uhl-lahyf, reel-]
/ ˈri əlˌlaɪf, ˈril- /
adjective
real life
British
noun
Etymology
Origin of real-life
First recorded in 1830–40
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:
Cardner's 14-year-old, Paige, believes the restrictions will lead to "more real-life scenarios" and less "fake content", which she says dominates social media.
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026
Something I could tap into just myself, or choose to share, but wasn’t attached to the memory of any of the real-life ouchy stuff.
From Salon ● Aug. 27, 2026
The resulting series is a very grand, real-life chronicle of a lion cub named Kio and how he becomes a king.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
The superhero film fronted by Tom Holland and real-life wife Zendaya has brought in more than $2 billion globally since its July 31 release, according to industry watcher Exhibitor Relations.
From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 2026
All I really wanted was some time with Zach and to expand my world by visiting the office of a real-life lawyer.
From "The Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd
This is not an easy question to study in real life.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 26, 2026
As well as being uncanny, for Panettiere it was traumatic to act out things so similar to her real life.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
“My character is a lot like me in real life where it’s kind of time to grow up,” Gillis said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
It’s not that I forget about the cameras, but I understand, being a contestant, this is their real life that’s happening.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
If I’m being honest, I’m not too optimistic about how well that will translate to real life.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
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.
