real-world

adjective

ˈrē(-ə)l-ˈwər(-ə)ld 

: existing or occurring in reality : drawn from or drawing on actual events or situations : real-life

a real-world example

… the complex relationship between a word and the real-world thing it labels.

—Jean Aitchison

Digital objects aren't bound by the same constraints as real-world objects—that is, broadly speaking, the whole point of digital objects—but they're often made to look like real-world objects anyway.

—Lev Grossman

… combine the rigors of academics with the soothing realities of real-world applications.

—Ricardo Bilton

The paintings are essentially abstract, but they don't feel abstract. They feature, besides passages of figurative drawing, a real-world aura …

—Peter Schjeldahl

Examples of real-world in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But analysts say for now, many of these humanoid robots are still mainly used for demonstrations, performances and research rather than real-world applications. — ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026

After all, OpenAI allowed its AI models to secretly conspire with one another and then escape into the real world, conducting real-world hacking. — Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 19 Aug. 2026

The next generation is about helping people turn those ideas into real-world products. — Nia Bowers, USA Today, 19 Aug. 2026

LLMs can be quite adept at helping people figure out how to plan and carry out real-world tasks, such as fixing a plumbing leak, repairing a car, or learning a new hobby. — Ian Bogost, Time, 18 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1963, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for real-world

• lifeworld
• unfurled
• curled
• furled
• hurled
• knurled
• swirled
• twirled
• whirled
• whorled
• world
• netherworld