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Synonyms

real world

American  
[ree-uhl, reel] / ˈri əl, ril /

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

Etymology

Origin of real world

First recorded in 1960–65

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

That matters because in the real world, A.I. use comes in a spectrum.

From Slate • Apr. 17, 2026

Duffy also noted that many participants, like retirees in the real world, ended retirement with more wealth than they started with.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 16, 2026

The seven-time Grand Slam champion, who had not played since last August's US Open, said he was "excited to enter the real world".

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

Just because such comparisons are almost laughably inept doesn’t mean they don’t have real world stakes.

From Salon • Apr. 14, 2026

Because in the real world, no one ever drinks Coca-Cola blind.

From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.