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

Dive into its real-world applications and solve meaningful problems with it. —Expert Panel®, Forbes, 21 Jan. 2025

Five years of real-world data on the drug and a head-to-head study demonstrating Spravato’s superior efficacy to an oral antidepressant also gave doctors higher confidence in the treatment, according to J&J’s Martin. —Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 21 Jan. 2025

But its real-world performance and value will only reveal themselves on the test bench. —John Burek, PCMAG, 20 Jan. 2025

The app had become a cultural force, influencing industries like publishing, music, food and fashion, and driving real-world trends. —Bailey Schulz, USA TODAY, 20 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1963, in the meaning defined above