Meanings
- How. (used in rhetorical questions to criticize something as completely inconsistent with reality and/or logic).
In what world is the ability to be attacked by bees on command a superpower?
2014, Joseph R. Lallo, The Other Eight, volume 11 more example
In what world is it "wholly unconscionable and politically unpalatable" to deny Nigeria a Security Council veto?
2005, Chicago journal of international law, volume 6, page 635Synonyms: in what universe
Synonyms & antonyms
prepositional phraseHow. (used in rhetorical questions to criticize something as completely inconsistent with reality and/or logic).
Origin
Use of a reference to alternative realities to imply that the thing criticized is inconsistent with our own reality.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
in what world. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/in%20what%20world
“in what world.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/in%20what%20world. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “in what world,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/in%20what%20world.
Source: in what world on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.