DictionaryAI

world

SayWURLD/wɜɹld/UK/wɜːld/

Pluralworlds

19 meanings of world

Practice

  1. 1
    the Earthnounwith the
    Our planet Earth, with all its people, countries, and cultures.

    Like one big home that everyone shares.

    People all over the world celebrated the start of the new year.

    The world is slowly getting warmer because of climate change.

    UsageSay all over the world or around the world.

    SimilarEarth

    Note
  2. 2
    noun
    Everyday life and shared reality as all people experience it together.

    They dreamed of making the world a kinder place for everyone.

    After school, he felt ready to face the real world.

    UsageSay the real world.

    Similarreality, existence

    Note
  3. 3
    nouncountable
    The people, places, and way of life that surround a person or group.

    She worked hard to break into the world of professional sports.

    In the world of finance, reputation means everything.

    UsageSay the fashion world or the world of sport.

    Similarcircle

    Note
  4. 4
    nounmetonymicallywith the
    Most people, or nearly everyone.

    Like saying 'everybody' when you really mean most people.

    By morning, the whole world knew what had happened.

    She stopped caring what the world thought of her choices.

    UsageSay the whole world knew.

    Similarpublic, people

  5. 5
    one's own lifenouncountable
    One person's own life, feelings, and reality.

    When she lost her job, her world turned upside down.

    Music was his whole world when he was young.

    UsageSay my world or his whole world.

    Similarlife, existence, universe

    Note
  6. 6
    cultural regionnouncountable
    A part of the Earth, or a group of countries or peoples, that share a culture, language, history or level of wealth.

    The book has been read across the English-speaking world.

    Many families in the developing world still cook over open fires.

    UsageSay the Western world.

    Note
  7. 7
    fictional realmnouncountable
    An imaginary place, like a planet or a different version of Earth, invented for a story or game.

    The novel is set in a magical world ruled by talking animals.

    Each new book adds strange lands to the author's invented world.

    UsageSay the world of Narnia.

    Similarrealm, universe, setting

    Note
  8. 8
    cosmosnoun
    Everything that exists, taken as the entire universe.

    Some people think nothing exists outside the material world.

    Everything in the world, from the smallest atom to the farthest star, follows the same laws of nature.

    Similaruniverse, cosmos, creation

  9. 9
    noun
    A time in history, with its people and way of life, thought of as a separate age.

    Like one whole chapter in a long history book, finishing before the next begins.

    In the world of our grandparents, letters took weeks to arrive.

    Thy kingdom is a kingdom of al worldes: and thy domnion in al generation and generation.
    1610, The Second Tome of the Holie Bible, Douay–Rheims BibleHere, worldes means ages or periods of time, so a kingdom for all ages.

    UsageSay the ancient world.

    Note

Practice

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Origin

It comes from Old English "weorold," made from "wer" (man) and "eld" (age), so it first meant something like "the age of man."

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 3 facts