metaverse

noun

meta·​verse ˈme-tə-ˌvərs 

plural metaverses

1

computing : a persistent virtual (see virtual sense 2) environment that allows access to and interoperability of multiple individual virtual realities

To its proponents, the metaverse is the natural evolution of the internet. They envisage a sprawling network of interconnected virtual worlds for such diverse activities as gaming, watching live entertainment, … and collaborating on design projects.

—Edd Gent

also : any of the individual virtual environments that make up a metaverse

Metaverses are immersive three-dimensional virtual worlds in which people interact as avatars with each other and with software agents, using the metaphor of the real world but without its physical limitations.

—Alanah Davis et al.

2

cosmology : the hypothetical combination of all co-existing or sequentially existing universes compare multiverse

Examples of metaverse in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Reality Labs, which houses units building VR headsets, AI glasses and the company’s metaverse products, has been losing billions of dollars per quarter for the past several years as the company invests in products that haven’t yet generated meaningful revenue. —Bloomberg, Mercury News, 12 Jan. 2026

Perspective shifted in this colorful underwater metaverse. —Gisela Williams, Travel + Leisure, 8 Jan. 2026

Digital Twin Composer is positioned as a core building block of what Siemens describes as the industrial metaverse, where simulation, real-time data, and AI converge to support faster, more informed decisions. —Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 6 Jan. 2026

Plus, Meta reportedly plans to cut costs in its metaverse business, giving the tech behemoth more flexibility to invest in AI and other faster-growing areas . —Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 30 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

meta- + -verse (in universe)

First Known Use

1992, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for metaverse

• reimburse
• universe
• adverse
• averse
• coerce
• disburse
• disperse
• diverse
• immerse
• inverse
• obverse
• perverse

Kids Definition

metaverse

noun

meta·​verse ˈmet-ə-ˌvərs 

1

: a persistent virtual environment that allows access to and interaction between multiple individual virtual realities

also : any of the individual virtual environments that make up a metaverse

2

: the hypothetical combination of all co-existing or sequentially existing universes