real time

noun

: the actual time during which something takes place

… the computer may partly analyze the data in real time (as it comes in) …

—R. H. March

chatted online in real time

real-time

ˈrē(-ə)l-ˈtīm 

adjective

Examples of real time in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

On July 6, officers and an FBI agent watched Lesteiro-Diaz livestream in real time. — Ana Maria Soler, Miami Herald, 26 July 2026

No clinician can manually interpret all of that data across hundreds of patients in real time. — Billee Howard, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026

Mike Vrabel had his first New England Patriots press conference of training camp this week, which — most importantly, of course — marked his first real time in front of reporters since the offseason fallout involving Dianna Russini. — Zach Dean Outkick, FOXNews.com, 25 July 2026

Supporting those capabilities is a new AI-Native Smart Factory Technology White Paper, which outlines an architecture that continuously analyzes production data and adjusts factory operations in real time. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 24 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1946, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for real time

• airtime
• bedtime
• daytime
• downtime
• enzyme
• halftime
• lifetime
• longtime
• lunchtime
• mealtime
• meantime
• nighttime