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 adjective

Examples of real time in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Her fans around the globe have watched that journey in real time from season to season over the years. Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Jan. 2026 In near real time, a user in a text chain allegedly used by the conspirators messaged that one of the truck drivers transporting the goods to the New Jersey warehouse reported that police officers had appeared at the scene and were asking questions about the cargo’s destination. Magdalena Petrova,eamon Javers, CNBC, 31 Dec. 2025 Other real-world applications of this research can be to estimate how pollutants migrate through soil over multiple millennia or how high-speed rail tracks resonate with the ground – scenarios that are impossible to study in real time. Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 31 Dec. 2025 Former safety researchers later explained that earlier moderation systems reviewed content after the fact rather than in real time. Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 30 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for real time

Word History

First Known Use

1946, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of real time was in 1946

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Cite this Entry

“Real time.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/real%20time. Accessed 1 Jan. 2026.

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