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

The companies that compound are sitting on unique data, runtime telemetry, customer-specific workflows and real-world feedback loops that no foundation model has access to. —Ankur Shah, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026

Guided by the rare living sharks that once shared their seas, real-world expeditions seamlessly merge with cutting-edge visual effects to uncover stories from the deep and prehistoric seas in ways never before possible. —Denise Petski, Deadline, 18 June 2026

But unlike the toys wealthy people like, this one has a real-world purpose, and could even benefit those who don’t use it. —Miami Herald, 18 June 2026

The ecosystem is further supported by an EAI Data Factory that gathers real-world operational data and a global industry network aimed at improving manufacturing efficiency and reducing costs. —Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 18 June 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