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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

It blends written instructions with what a camera sees in real time, so the robot can link what it is looking at to what it should do.

From Barron's • Jun. 18, 2026

Scripted hit prime time TV shows need seven days or more of viewing on demand to reach the audience levels the World Cup is attracting in real time.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 18, 2026

Ent’s AI-powered platform monitors endpoints in real time, assessing user intent to intervene and prevent insider data leaks.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 16, 2026

What matters is the mass production of cheap and lethal projectiles that are adapted in real time, not long-term investment in big and vulnerable platforms that become outdated fast.

From BBC • Jun. 12, 2026

When was the last time they hadn’t shared every single moment that happened, nearly in real time?

From "We'll Fly Away" by Bryan Bliss