real-time

/ˈɹiːəltaɪm//ˈɹiːltaɪm/

adjective

Communicated as the events being responded to occur; communicated or proceeding without much delay.

Similar

Meanings

adjectivereal-time (not comparable)

alternative realtime

  1. not comparableCommunicated as the events being responded to occur; communicated or proceeding without much delay.

    If not real-time, in-person backup, he at least needed to tell Davenport what was going on, and where he was headed.

    2014, John Sandford, Deadline: A Virgil Flowers Novel, Penguin, →ISBN, page 167
    4 more examples

    It will provide a wireless navigation service that can deliver turn-by-turn route guidance and real-time traffic and weather information. Motorola is the first company to create such a solution, […]

    2001, Automotive Engineering International

    Audiences tolerate the idea of Roxy Hart turning from a “real-time” conversation with her husband or lawyer and launching into a song about her dreams and ambitions. And in the old days, movie audiences did the same: Judy Garland could ...

    2004, William J. Mann, Gay Pride: A Celebration Of All Things Gay And Lesbian, Citadel Press, →ISBN

    This may nevertheless require some re-drawing of boundaries, to integrate real- time or near-real-time intelligence collection with the other means of locating, identifying and tracking major military equipment and units.

    2013, Michael Herman, Intelligence Services in the Information Age, Routledge, →ISBN

    All signage in and around the station is bilingual in Welsh and English, while station announcements and passenger information screens provide real-time information.

    2020 December 30, Paul Stephen, “Chirk station is truly blooming”, in Rail, page 48

    Synonyms: RT

  2. not comparablecomputingOf a system: that responds to events or signals within a predictable time after their occurrence; specifically in which the response time must be within the maximum allowed, but is typically synchronous.

    The projects, which are due to start in November, are: Real-time prediction and mitigation of disruption through personalised passenger communications - [...]

    2019 November 6, “Network News”, in Rail, page 23

    Synonyms: RT

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveCommunicated as the events being responded to occur; communicated or proceeding without much delay.

Similar

adjectiveOf a system: that responds to events or signals within a predictable time after their occurrence; specifically in which the response time must be within the maximum allowed, but is typically synchronous.

Similar

Origin

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 實時 /实时
  • 實時 /实时 (shíshí)computer term
Finnish reaaliaikainen
  • reaaliaikainencomputer term
French en temps réel
  • en temps réelcomputer term
German in Echtzeit
  • in Echtzeitcomputer term
Hungarian valós idejű
  • valós idejűcomputer term
Indonesian waktu nyata
  • waktu nyatacomputer term
Irish fíor-ama
  • fíor-amacomputer term
Italian in tempo reale
  • in tempo realecomputer term
Japanese リアルタイムの, 実時間の
  • リアルタイムの (riarutaimu no)computer term
  • 実時間の (jitsujikan no)computer term
Malay masa nyata
  • masa nyatacomputer term
Norwegian Bokmål sanntids-
  • sanntids-computer term
Polish w czasie rzeczywistym
  • w czasie rzeczywistymcomputer term
Portuguese em tempo real
  • em tempo realcomputer term
Romanian în timp real
  • în timp realcomputer term
Russian в реа́льном вре́мени, постоянный
  • в реа́льном вре́мени (v reálʹnom vrémeni)computer term
  • постоянный (postojannyj)computer term
Spanish de tiempo real
  • de tiempo realcomputer term
Swedish realtids-
  • realtids-computer term
Turkish gerçek zamanlı, eş zamanlı
  • gerçek zamanlıcomputer term
  • eş zamanlıcomputer term
Vietnamese tức thời, thời gian thực
  • tức thờicomputer term
  • thời gian thựccomputer term
Cite this entry
APA

real-time. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/real-time

MLA

“real-time.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/real-time. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “real-time,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/real-time.

Source: real-time on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.