world-building

noun

world-build·​ing ˈwərl(d)-ˈbil-diŋ How to pronounce world-building (audio)
variants or less commonly world building or worldbuilding
: the creation of a fictional world (especially within the science fiction and fantasy genres) that is believable and consistent within the context of the story
The game pushes the limits of the PS4 graphically and packs so much mythos and backstory into its world-building that at times it feels more like a novel than a video game.Patrick Shanley
In my opinion, no one does world-building as well as Kate Elliott. It's subtle … but the world, culture, and societies she creates feel solid. If you think about them when you close the book, you can see how they could work; how the economics could work, how the governing could work, how the cultures formed.Michelle West
In postapocalyptic stories, world building typically emphasizes the new reality: new vocabulary to learn, new systems of government to understand, new social norms to parse.Shirley Li
It sounds like a lot to take in, but "The Sandman" neatly avoids many genre show pitfalls. While at times its premise and worldbuilding do feel a bit murky, for the most part, it's even less confusing for a layman to get into than other sprawling similar shows such as "Westworld" or "The Witcher."Lauren Sarner

Examples of world-building in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web How does your approach to world-building in music differ from comedy? Nate Jackson, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2024 Eventually, nearing total mental and physical breakdown, Todd makes a dramatic trip to Makatea to meet Rafi and Ina and Evie, in hopes of achieving a perfect confluence of his goals in the realms of business, relationships, and world-building. Randy Boyagoda, The Atlantic, 17 Oct. 2024 That sort of world-building for your pet won’t come cheap. Boone Ashworth, WIRED, 15 Oct. 2024 After the first Wicked trailer during this year's Super Bowl focused on dialogue, world-building, and introducing the characters, this new clip is entirely filled with singing and dancing. Christian Holub, EW.com, 9 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for world-building 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'world-building.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1983, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of world-building was in 1983

Dictionary Entries Near world-building

Cite this Entry

“World-building.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/world-building. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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