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• real time
  real time

  noun

  the actual time elapsed in the performance of a computation by a computer, the result of the computation being required for the continuation of a physical process.
• real-time
  real-time

  adjective

  of or relating to applications in which the computer must respond as rapidly as required by the user or necessitated by the process being controlled.

real time

¹ American  

[ree-uhl, reel] / ˈri əl, ril /

noun

• real times
  plural

1. Computers. the actual time elapsed in the performance of a computation by a computer, the result of the computation being required for the continuation of a physical process.

2. the actual time during which a process takes place or an event occurs.

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idioms

1. in real time, at once; instantaneously.

real-time ² American  

[ree-uhl-tahym, reel-] / ˈri əlˈtaɪm, ˈril- /

adjective

Computers.

1. of or relating to applications in which the computer must respond as rapidly as required by the user or necessitated by the process being controlled.

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real-time British  

adjective

1. denoting or relating to a data-processing system in which a computer receives constantly changing data, such as information relating to air-traffic control, travel booking systems, etc, and processes it sufficiently rapidly to be able to control the source of the data

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real-time Cultural  

1. A term used to describe computer systems that update information at the same rate as they receive data.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• real times
  plural

Etymology

Origin of real time

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

real time real-time

That gives scientists a much faster view of processes that would otherwise be extremely difficult to track in real time.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 21, 2026

Live sports are a major draw for broadcasters and streamers alike, because they motivate people to subscribe to services and watch in real time, creating high-value opportunities for advertisers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

While the Moon has numerous craters, many of which are far bigger than McGetchin, researching a crater's formation in real time can help build understanding of the Moon's geology.

From Barron's ● Sep. 17, 2026

Rowley and his fiancée, Stephanie Calderon, watched almost the entire incident in real time from their security cameras as they were traveling back from Chicago.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026

My brain is speed-ramping life—from slow motion back to real time.

From "Love, Hate & Other Filters" by Samira Ahmed

Realizing in real-time that they had walked straight into a trap, the senator’s team tried to bury the evidence and move on before anyone noticed.

From Salon ● Oct. 1, 2026

Morgan promises to bring a real-time reporting system that would use blockchain technology and artificial intelligence, allowing the public to review the price and recipients of contracts and highlight any conflicts of interests.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

Employees practice responding to objections, then get real-time feedback on how to finesse their responses.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 26, 2026

"As AI agents become more capable and autonomous, those capabilities need to be matched by proportionate containment, real-time monitoring, clear accountability, independent oversight, and much faster incident reporting."

From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026

Todd13 scowled and his face actually turned red—a sign that he hadn’t bothered to turn off his account’s real-time emotion feature, which made your avatar mirror your facial expressions and body language.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline