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

This is when the government has to justify taking away someone’s liberty — when constitutional promises are tested in real time and decisions are made that can alter a person’s life. — Corey B. Friedman, Sun Sentinel, 9 Aug. 2026

For instance, instead of waiting for conventional analysis to work through enormous amounts of data, AI could identify important events in near real time and direct researchers toward the signals most worth investigating. — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 9 Aug. 2026

Few details of either incident were publicly available in real time because OPD encrypted its scanner traffic last year, hiding the activity of its officers. — Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 9 Aug. 2026

The same problems arrive, at smaller scale, for any organization that puts capable agents into production, and the tooling to solve them is a product category taking shape in real time. — Jon Markman, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 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