: 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
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.
Backed by history, polling, and real-world data, these victories show the political winds have shifted, and rural voters are leading the charge for educational opportunity. Corey Deangelis, National Review, 27 Apr. 2025 Health and Human Services denies creating an autism registry amid privacy concerns An HSS official told USA TODAY that the department is not creating an autism registry, but is pursuing the real-world data platform to support research into the causes of autism and treatments. Kinsey Crowley, USA Today, 26 Apr. 2025 Colorado institutes’ pragmatic research Both CIRA and CIRES focus on research with real-world applications. Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 25 Apr. 2025 But the upside is, while imperfect, these studies do offer real-world data from a substantial number of people that lends credence to diet as a potential endo-fighting factor. Erica Sloan, SELF, 25 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for real-world

Word History

First Known Use

1963, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of real-world was in 1963

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Cite this Entry

“Real-world.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/real-world. Accessed 2 May. 2025.

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