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real life

/ˈri(ə)l ˌlaɪf/
/rɪəl laɪf/
IPA guide

Other forms: real lives

Real life is reality — it's the actual life we live everyday, rather than one that we dream or fantasize about living.

A well-made documentary film explores some real life situation in an interesting way, and the best classes in school use real life examples or even allow students to experience real life situations that illustrate what they're learning. If you spend all your days dreaming about what you'd spend your money on if you won a million dollars, you may need to be reminded that you need to come back to real life.

Definitions of real life
  1. noun
    the practical world as opposed to the academic world
    synonyms: real world
    see moresee less
    type of:
    reality, world
    all of your experiences that determine how things appear to you
Pronunciation
US
/ˈri(ə)l ˌlaɪf/
UK
/rɪəl laɪf/
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DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘real life'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
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