world

noun

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\ ˈwər(-ə)ld

Definition of world

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : the earthly state of human existence

b : life after death —used with a qualifierthe next world

2 : the earth with its inhabitants and all things upon it

3 : individual course of life : career

4 : the inhabitants of the earth : the human race

5a : the concerns of the earth and its affairs as distinguished from heaven and the life to come

b : secular affairs

6 : the system of created things : universe

7a : a division or generation of the inhabitants of the earth distinguished by living together at the same place or at the same time the medieval world

b : a distinctive class of persons or their sphere of interest or activity the academic world the digital world

8 : human society withdraw from the world

9 : a part or section of the earth that is a separate independent unit

10 : the sphere or scene of one's life and action living in your own little world

11 : an indefinite multitude or a great quantity or distance makes a world of difference a world away

12 : the whole body of living persons : public announced their discovery to the world

13 : kingdom sense 4 the animal world

14 : a celestial body (such as a planet)

for all the world

: in every way : exactly copies which look for all the world like the original

in the world

: among innumerable possibilities : ever —used as an intensivewhat in the world is it

out of this world

: of extraordinary excellence : superb

world

adjective

Definition of world (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : of or relating to the world a world championship

2a : extending or found throughout the world : worldwide brought about world peace

b : involving or applying to part of or the whole world a world tour a world state

c : internationally recognized : renowned, distinguished a world authority on gemstones

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Examples of world in a Sentence

Noun the countries of the world He is famous throughout the world. They sailed around the world. It can be found anywhere in the world. The product is shipped halfway around the world. The problem occurs in many parts of the world. The island was cut off from the rest of the world. They want to see the world. the Eastern and Western worlds people living in the English-speaking world Adjective She broke the world record. They won the world championship. a world authority on gemstones

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Wielding an incomparable, sometimes even astounding facility with the brush, Rembrandt merged close and candid observation of the world around him with inventive theatrical narratives drawn from myth, history and the Bible. — Los Angeles Times, "Review: How does it feel to own a Rembrandt? Or 15 of them? Inside the collectors’ quest," 6 Jan. 2021 There doesn’t seem to be much between her mind and the rest of the world. — Lauren Oyler, Harpers Magazine, "Reality Under My Skin," 5 Jan. 2021 His reaction went beyond mere disagreement; Sale’s thesis insulted his sense of the world. — Steven Levy, Wired, "A 25-Year-Old Bet Comes Due: Has Tech Destroyed Society?," 5 Jan. 2021 Both actresses — who also serve as executive producers on the movie — hope that despite the current, isolating state of the world, the movie can remind people of how fulfilling any form of communication can be. — Ruth Kinane, EW.com, "Felicity Jones and Shailene Woodley talk romantic Netflix drama The Last Letter From Your Lover," 5 Jan. 2021 Over its 183-year history, the great American jeweler has handled many of the world’s most famous diamonds. — Jill Newman, Town & Country, "Tiffany Reveals a New Diamond for the Record Books," 5 Jan. 2021 That unfolded just as the coronavirus was spreading rapidly from China to the rest of the world. — Benoit Faucon, WSJ, "Saudis, Russia at Odds Over Boosting Oil Output Amid Covid-19 Pandemic," 4 Jan. 2021 The authors predict a global crisis over fresh water and note that the Amazon has one of the world’s deepest reserves. — Washington Post, "Bolsonaro sent soldiers to the Amazon to curb deforestation. Here’s how the effort failed.," 4 Jan. 2021 The efforts had been largely successful, with Japan able to avoid the type of strict lockdowns enacted in other parts of the world. — James Griffiths, CNN, "Japan poised for state of emergency as Covid-19 cases soar," 4 Jan. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective At one point, Borgov offers Beth a draw, which would leave her co-world champion. — Ariana Romero, refinery29.com, "You’re Not Alone If The Queen’s Gambit Ending Made You Cry," 26 Oct. 2020 The former two-time United States Olympian and multi-world record holder was going to make sure his student-athletes stayed safe while addressing their physical and mental needs. — Emmett Hall, sun-sentinel.com, "Pompano Piranhas swimmers get creative to train during COVID-19," 17 Sep. 2020 The goal was to turn mainland Chinese citizens and world public opinion against the movement. — Lenora Chu, The Christian Science Monitor, "Who should judge what's true? Tackling social media's global impact.," 8 June 2020 Tel Aviv’s beaches are world famous, and with miles of shoreline, there’s a perfect beach for everyone. — Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, "The Best Places to Travel in April," 12 Feb. 2020 But instead of making China’s case, Beijing’s ham-handed international efforts have largely failed to sway world public opinion. — New York Times, "China’s Soft-Power Failure: Condemning Hong Kong’s Protests," 20 Aug. 2019 The Swiss Air Force was left red-faced after its world famous flight demonstration team—the Patrouille Suisse—accidentally performed their routine over the wrong Swiss town. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "Oops! Swiss Aerial Acrobatics Team Performs for the Wrong Town," 11 July 2019 Cook County is apparently the same place where Oprah Winfrey and Mr. T do their public duty, so world famous jurors are par for the course, but Obama is the highest-ranking former public official to be called for jury duty in Chicago history. — Caroline Hallemann, Town & Country, "Here's What Barack Obama Is Doing Now," 16 July 2018 Cook County is apparently the same place where Oprah Winfrey and Mr. T do their public duty, so world famous jurors are par for the course, but Obama is the highest-ranking former public official to be called for jury duty in Chicago history. — Caroline Hallemann, Town & Country, "Here's What Barack Obama Is Doing Now," 16 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'world.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.