Jump To:

• 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.

---

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.

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• real times
  plural

Etymology

Origin of real time

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

Nicholas Miller is a reporter on the Real-Time Desk at The Wall Street Journal, where he covers breaking corporate news.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 20, 2026

It was also tracked by the Catalina Real-Time Transient Survey, another NSF-funded Caltech project.

From Science Daily • Nov. 7, 2025

All of the men on the Forbes Real-Time Billionaires list are the subjects of plenty of news coverage, but there’s something different about Musk.

From Slate • Feb. 18, 2025

“I will not talk about staffing … and tactics with regards to the Real-Time Crime Center,” she said.

From Washington Times • Dec. 7, 2023

He took part in a live interaction with the New York Times website, headlined “Messaging With Mondale: Real-Time Reactions From an Ex-Vice President”.

From The Guardian • Oct. 8, 2016