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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

"The camera is only for tracking motion; we don't save the video anywhere; it is processed in real time, locally on the device, rather than in the cloud," he said.

From BBC • Jun. 20, 2026

When he opened his eyes, he saw a once-familiar shoreline changing in real time, with swathes of previously submerged coral suddenly pushing above the waterline.

From Barron's • Jun. 19, 2026

“The Death of Robin Hood’s” one big idea is compelling: History gets written and erased in real time.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 18, 2026

The entire process—from identifying suspicious activity to assessing it and shutting down risky activity—operates in real time, rather than flagging it hours later, he said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 16, 2026

ANGELA: I’m relaying it real time to my cloud account anyway!

From "Burning Blue" by Paul Griffin