real-life
adjective
existing or happening in reality.
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real-life
American
[ree-uhl-lahyf, reel-]
/ ˈri əlˌlaɪf, ˈril- /
adjective
real life
British
noun
Etymology
Origin of real-life
First recorded in 1830–40
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.
See Examples For:
"They are real-life Pokémon, really, if you think about it," he said.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
But in “Event Horizon,” Neill avoids hokeyness in what could otherwise be an extremely hokey film, finding the emotional center in a character whose inner demons become real-life manifestations of Hell.
From Salon ● Jul. 17, 2026
Gaines, who is also a stand-up comedian, called Grigoryan’s response to his post “so bizarre,” “kind of slanderous” and “like a real-life ‘Seinfeld’ episode,” likening the Glendale chef to the show’s famously withholding Soup Nazi.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
The real-life story of two British athletes, from disparate backgrounds, competing for gold in the sprint events at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026
“History or real-life adventure books, mostly,” I replied.
From "Dead End in Norvelt" by Jack Gantos
Travelers from abroad had no choice but to experience real life.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026
“It makes it seem like the online world is more blown out of proportion than what real life is.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
To better reflect real life, the researchers examined the effects of chronic, mild sleep loss, a pattern experienced by roughly 30% of adults.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 13, 2026
"People are on their phones all the time and online events are harder to sell, they want to see real faces in real life," Hyde said.
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
It turned out the first episode was Erlan and his brothers’ birthday party, so that was fun to watch because I’d been there in real life.
From Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff
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.
