real-life

adjective

ˈrē(-ə)l-ˈlīf 

: existing or occurring in reality : drawn from or drawing on actual events or situations

real-life problems

real-life drama

Examples of real-life in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Quality packing cubes hold up in real-life travel and offer simple compression features that make a world of difference. — Brandon Schultz, Travel + Leisure, 6 July 2026

Speaking with Variety ahead of the film’s world premiere at the renowned Czech festival, Hoyos García says the idea for the film came from a real-life story of a river that kept bringing bodies to the shores of a small Colombian town. — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 6 July 2026

Designers turned Mbappe’s 3D digital scan into a real-life model, similar to a Madame Tussaud’s waxwork, of Mbappe’s head. — Charlotte Harpur, New York Times, 5 July 2026

The spinoff stars real-life father-daughter duo Timothy and Vivian Olyphant. — Emily Weaver, PEOPLE, 5 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1838, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for real-life

• alewife
• birdlife
• folklife
• housewife
• jackknife
• midlife
• midwife
• nightlife
• penknife
• wildlife
• afterlife
• pocketknife

Kids Definition

real-life

adjective

: happening in reality : being like real life