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ENGLISH · A WORD WITH POSSIBILITIES

world.

The subjective human experience, regarded collectively; human collective existence; existence in general; the reality we live in.

5 characters1 syllables approx.English language

Meaning & usage

noun/wɜːld/Australia, Received-Pronunciation/wɝld/Canada, General-American[wɝɫd]Canada, General-American/wɵːld/New-Zealand
  1. The subjective human experience, regarded collectively; human collective existence; existence in general; the reality we live in.

    In retrospect, the process of economic globalization has meant the end of the world as we knew it.
    There will always be lovers, till the world’s end.
  2. The subjective human experience, regarded individually.

    The period immediately following my divorce seemed like the end of my world.
    He was my world! [said of a slain companion]
  3. A majority of people.

    metonymically · with-definite-article
    Running after God is the only life worth living. Even though the world believes that living for God is boring, we believe that there is nothing more exciting.
  4. The Universe.

  5. The Earth, especially in a geopolitical or cultural context, or as the physical planet.

    with-definite-article
    People are dying of starvation all over the world.
  6. Any of several possible scenarios concerning The Earth, either as the physical planet, or in a geopolitical, cultural or societal context.

    Who would want to live in a world like this?
  7. (Several) alternative scenarios concerning The Earth, either as the physical planet, or in a geopolitical, cultural or societal context.

    countable
  8. A distinct realm, capable of containing objects or inhabitants, which does not physically border other similar realms.

    countable
  9. A distinct realm, capable of containing objects or inhabitants, which does not physically border other similar realms. A planet, especially one which is inhabited or inhabitable.

    countable
    Our mission is to travel the galaxy and find new worlds.
  10. A distinct realm, capable of containing objects or inhabitants, which does not physically border other similar realms. A planet, especially one which is inhabited or inhabitable. Any other astronomical body which may be inhabitable, such as a natural satellite.

    broadly · countable
  11. A distinct realm, capable of containing objects or inhabitants, which does not physically border other similar realms. In various mythologies, cosmologies, etc., one of a number of separate realms or regions having different characteristics and occupied by different types of inhabitants.

    countable
  12. A distinct realm, capable of containing objects or inhabitants, which does not physically border other similar realms. A fictional realm, such as a planet, containing one or multiple societies of beings, especially intelligent ones.

    countable
    the world of Narnia
    the Wizarding World of Harry Potter
  13. A very large extent of country.

    the New World
  14. An individual or group perspective or social setting.

    In the world of boxing, good diet is all-important.
    Welcome to my world.
  15. The part of an operating system distributed with the kernel, consisting of the shell and other programs.

  16. A subdivision of a game, consisting of a series of stages or levels that usually share a similar environment or theme.

    Have you reached the boss at the end of the ice world?
    There's a hidden warp to the next world down this pipe.
  17. The twenty-second trump or major arcana card of the tarot.

  18. A great amount, a lot.

    informal
    Taking a break from work seems to have done her a world of good.
    You're going to be in a world of trouble when your family finds out.
  19. Age, era.

    archaic
Where this word comes from

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *weyh₁-? Proto-Indo-European *wiHrós Proto-Germanic *weraz Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- Proto-Indo-European *h₂életi Proto-Germanic *alaną Proto-Indo-European *-tis Proto-Germanic *-þiz Proto-Germanic *aldiz Proto-Germanic *weraldiz Proto-West Germanic *weraldi Old English weorold Middle English world English world From Middle English world, from Old English weorold (“world”), from Proto-West Germanic *weraldi, from Proto-Germanic *weraldiz (“lifetime, human existence, world”, literally “age/era of man”), equivalent to wer (“man”) + eld (“age”). Eclipsed non-native Middle English mounde (“world”), from Old French monde, munde (“world”). Cognates Cognate with Scots warld (“world”), North Frisian Wārel, wäält, wråål (“world”), Saterland Frisian Waareld (“world”), West Frisian wrâld (“world”), Afrikaans wêreld (“world”), Bavarian Wöd (“world”), Dutch wereld (“world”), German, Luxembourgish Welt (“world”), German Low German Wereld, Werld (“world”), Vilamovian wełt (“world”), Yiddish וועלט (velt, “world”), Danish verden (“world”), Elfdalian wärd (“world”), Faroese verð, verøld (“world”), Icelandic veröld (“world”), Norn vrildan (“the earth”), Norwegian Bokmål verd, verden (“(the) world”), Norwegian Nynorsk verd (“world”), Swedish värld (“world”).

verb/wɜːld/Australia, Received-Pronunciation/wɝld/Canada, General-American[wɝɫd]Canada, General-American/wɵːld/New-Zealand
  1. To consider or cause to be considered from a global perspective; to consider as a global whole, rather than making or focusing on national or other distinctions; compare globalize.

    transitive
  2. To make real; to make worldly.

    transitive
Where this word comes from

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *weyh₁-? Proto-Indo-European *wiHrós Proto-Germanic *weraz Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- Proto-Indo-European *h₂életi Proto-Germanic *alaną Proto-Indo-European *-tis Proto-Germanic *-þiz Proto-Germanic *aldiz Proto-Germanic *weraldiz Proto-West Germanic *weraldi Old English weorold Middle English world English world From Middle English world, from Old English weorold (“world”), from Proto-West Germanic *weraldi, from Proto-Germanic *weraldiz (“lifetime, human existence, world”, literally “age/era of man”), equivalent to wer (“man”) + eld (“age”). Eclipsed non-native Middle English mounde (“world”), from Old French monde, munde (“world”). Cognates Cognate with Scots warld (“world”), North Frisian Wārel, wäält, wråål (“world”), Saterland Frisian Waareld (“world”), West Frisian wrâld (“world”), Afrikaans wêreld (“world”), Bavarian Wöd (“world”), Dutch wereld (“world”), German, Luxembourgish Welt (“world”), German Low German Wereld, Werld (“world”), Vilamovian wełt (“world”), Yiddish וועלט (velt, “world”), Danish verden (“world”), Elfdalian wärd (“world”), Faroese verð, verøld (“world”), Icelandic veröld (“world”), Norn vrildan (“the earth”), Norwegian Bokmål verd, verden (“(the) world”), Norwegian Nynorsk verd (“world”), Swedish värld (“world”).

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Definitions, grammatical labels, IPA, etymology and examples: Wiktionary contributors, extracted by Kaikki / Wiktextract. Adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected fields and authored examples are shown; third-party quotations and audio are omitted. See contributor history.

Last enriched 2026-09-10. Definitions are in English. Romanizations are shown when supplied by the source; syllable estimates are omitted for unsupported scripts.