real world

[ree-uhl, reel]

noun

1. the realm of practical or actual experience, as opposed to the abstract, theoretical, or idealized sphere of the classroom, laboratory, etc..

   recent college graduates looking for jobs in the real world of rising unemployment.

Other Word Forms

• real-world adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of real world¹

First recorded in 1960–65

Example Sentences

This isn’t just an expensive proposition — it’s also a psychological danger, constituting behavior that is likely to get men to withdraw from the real world and attachments to real people.

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Jarvis is far from the first time science fiction pop culture has collided with real world technology developments.

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But the real world limits how quickly companies can scale up these next-level supercomputers, and it’s unclear who will pay for all the resulting services.

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Busch argued that Siemens is well-placed to capitalise on the AI boom: "Siemens is the leader in industrial AI for the real world, and we have everything we need to build from here."

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In the real world, few conservatives want to have anything to do with Mr. Fuentes.

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Related Words

• here and now