real time

¹ American  

[ree-uhl, reel] / ˈri əl, ril /

noun

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.

---

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.

---

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

---

real-time Cultural  

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

---

Etymology

Origin of real time

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

But Shiffrin’s willingness to show her vulnerable side—often in real time, right there at the finish, with a TV camera in her face—has cultivated a new legion of fans, especially outside of skiing.

From The Wall Street Journal

The hospital said it would also become the first in the UK to introduce new technology to enable surgeons to feel tissue resistance in real time.

From BBC

Market prognosticators often reach for long explanations to justify periods of fragility, but those answers are rarely clear in real time and remain debated even in hindsight.

From Barron's

"Russian drones move much more quickly, so the enemy operators will not be able to control them in real time," the website said.

From BBC

AI is optimizing search, discovery, pricing, and sales language in real time, shifting competition towards algorithmic effectiveness over scale.

From Barron's