real-life

American

[ree-uhl-lahyf, reel-] / ˈri əlˌlaɪf, ˈril- /

adjective

existing or happening in reality.

real-life drama.

real life British

noun

1. actual human life, as lived by real people, esp contrasted with the lives of fictional or fantasy characters
  
  miracles don't happen in real life
2. ( as modifier )
  
  a real-life mystery

"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 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.

It started with creating a show where comics could tell completely uncensored, unhinged real-life stories.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026

The setup mirrored real-life decisions, but stripped away the usual complications.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 16, 2026

“But more marketers are understanding that truth and trust are moving from digital communities to real-life experiences, especially as AI grows.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

These real-life tradwives described hellish experiences, both for themselves and their children.

From Salon • Apr. 13, 2026

Longtime visitors to the Khumbu are saddened by the boom in tourism and the change it has wrought on what early Western climbers regarded as an earthly paradise, a real-life Shangri-La.

From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer

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