real-world

adjective

ˈrē(-ə)l-ˈwər(-ə)ld 

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

a real-world example

… the complex relationship between a word and the real-world thing it labels.

—Jean Aitchison

Digital objects aren't bound by the same constraints as real-world objects—that is, broadly speaking, the whole point of digital objects—but they're often made to look like real-world objects anyway.

—Lev Grossman

… combine the rigors of academics with the soothing realities of real-world applications.

—Ricardo Bilton

The paintings are essentially abstract, but they don't feel abstract. They feature, besides passages of figurative drawing, a real-world aura …

—Peter Schjeldahl

Examples of real-world in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The system has been evaluated through military exercises and training events and has supported operational use in Ukraine, providing BLADE with real-world insight into evolving unmanned ground requirements, according to a press release. — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2026

These changes, if passed, pose a big problem for both public health research and real-world federal assistance, social epidemiologist Nancy Krieger writes in a new First Opinion. — Sarah Todd, STAT, 9 Oct. 2026

Cancer June 21 – July 22 A creative idea may need to adapt to real-world demands today. — Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 9 Oct. 2026

While ChatGPT isn’t a substitute for professional mental health care, our safeguards are designed to identify distress, safely handle harmful requests, and guide users to real-world help. — Laura Reiley, Vanity Fair, 9 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1963, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for real-world

• lifeworld
• unfurled
• curled
• furled
• hurled
• knurled
• swirled
• twirled
• whirled
• whorled
• world
• netherworld