world-building

American  

[wurld-bil-ding] / ˈwɜrldˌbɪl dɪŋ /

world building or worldbuilding

noun

1. the process of developing a detailed and plausible fictional world for a novel or story, especially in science fiction, fantasy, and video games.

   Drawing a convincing map with boundaries and landscape features is a natural starting point for world-building.

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Other Word Forms

• world-build
  verb (used without object)

Etymology

Origin of world-building

First recorded in 1820–25, referring to or contrasted with the Biblical creation of the world

Example Sentences

So went the prohibition on artificial intelligence in Frank Herbert’s 1965 novel “Dune,” and what was then a datum of fictional world-building is now a real and pressing concern.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 13, 2025

Though far less posh, “The Conjuring” likewise nailed the world-building aspects of its place and time.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 16, 2025

When movies are treated as malleable, disposable world-building over actual filmmaking, it’s no wonder that the stars of MCU movies don’t seem to care about the films they’re in at all.

From Salon • Jul. 25, 2025

"A lot of these books have strong world-building, amazing character development and a really good plot," Sarah says.

From BBC • Jun. 20, 2025

They’d spent a small fortune on in-app purchases: skins and maps in Minecraft, V-Bucks in Fortnite, unlimited lives and gems in a new multiplayer world-building game.

From "Millionaires for the Month" by Stacey McAnulty