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

And the skeptics say this is all corporate hype chasing billions in investment while the actual tech sputters with hallucinations and errors, choking on real-world problems. —Joe Hagan, Vanity Fair, 18 Mar. 2026

While humanoid robots have not yet exceeded this threshold in real-world conditions, the margin is becoming increasingly narrow. —Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 18 Mar. 2026

The play is grounded in real-world conversations. —Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 18 Mar. 2026

Coloradans deserve an honest conversation about the real-world impact of these proposals. —Austen Erblat, CBS News, 18 Mar. 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