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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

But these measures address only symptoms of the transformation of the university we are seeing in real time.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026

He senses the world changing in real time and doesn’t want to get left behind, lest his reporting and notoriety succumb to oblivion.

From Salon ● Sep. 26, 2026

The design combines the robustness needed for difficult, high-speed maneuvers with enough computational efficiency to work in real time.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 22, 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

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

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

“This is a group that wants a lot more real-time feedback,” added Coyne, 55.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 27, 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

This VPN allows us to share the feed from the microphone, images from the session, the real-time script, and all the animation designs amongst all the locations with a simple log-in.

From "The World Is Flat" by Thomas L. Friedman