world

A1 Topic:General Vocabulary

Also spelled warld and worl

US /wɜɹld/ UK /wɜːld/ See IPA manual

Freq #220

Meanings

1

noun
The planet Earth and everything on it.

People are dying of starvation all over the world.
2

noun
All the people living on Earth.

The whole world watched the final match on television.
3

noun
A particular area of life or activity that can be thought of on its own.

She knows everyone in the world of fashion.
4

noun
Everything a person experiences and how it shapes their life.

The child's world was shattered when she learned the truth.
5

noun
Ordinary daily life, seen as separate from religion or the afterlife.

The monks tried to live apart from the world.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · the planet earth and... earththe globethe planet

2 noun · all the people living on... man

4 noun · everything a person... reality

5 noun · ordinary daily life, seen... earthly concernworldly concern

Word family

Forms worlds

Derived forms after-worldafterworldantiworldaquaworldartworldbidenworldbraneworldclintonworldconworldcounterworldcumber-worldcumberworld

Related forms globalglobalisationglobalization

Appears in

Phrases (12)

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a world war
a war involving many of the world's nations simultaneously

Adjective + noun
modern world
contemporary society with its current technology and conditions

Adjective + noun
real world
actual everyday life as opposed to theory, school, or fantasy

Adjective + noun
world record
the best performance or highest figure ever achieved globally in a given activity

Adjective + noun
change the world
have a transformative impact on society or humanity

Verb + noun
save the world
prevent a global catastrophe or dramatically improve humanity's situation

Verb + noun

Idioms (6)

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it's a small world
used to express surprise at an unexpected connection or meeting
on top of the world
Feeling exceptionally happy and satisfied, especially after a success.
the best of both worlds
A situation in which you enjoy the advantages of two different things at the same time.
dead to the world
sleeping so deeply that you are completely unaware of your surroundings
think the world of
admire or care for someone or something very deeply
the world is your oyster
You are free to enjoy all the opportunities life has to offer.

Proverbs (24)

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Simplified etymology

World comes from Old English weorold, whose ancient components meant approximately “age or life of man”: the first is related to were- in werewolf, meaning “man,” and the second to old. The Anglo-Saxons used it for human existence or life on earth, contrasted with an afterlife in heaven or hell, before it developed its broader geographical senses.

Etymology

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-na…

world Middle English weorold Old English *weraldi Proto-West Germanic *weraldiz Proto-Germanic

View etymology graph ->

Topics

General Vocabulary

External links

# world

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A1
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /wɜɹld/
**IPA (UK):** /wɜːld/
**Frequency rank:** 220

## Meanings
1. The planet Earth and everything on it.
2. All the people living on Earth.
3. A particular area of life or activity that can be thought of on its own.
4. Everything a person experiences and how it shapes their life.
5. Ordinary daily life, seen as separate from religion or the afterlife.

## Examples
- People are dying of starvation all over the world.
- The whole world watched the final match on television.
- She knows everyone in the world of fashion.
- The child's world was shattered when she learned the truth.
- The monks tried to live apart from the world.

## Derived Forms
- after-world
- afterworld
- antiworld
- aquaworld
- artworld
- bidenworld
- braneworld
- clintonworld
- conworld
- counterworld
- cumber-world
- cumberworld

## Related Forms
- global
- globalisation
- globalization

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: world
- Root: weorold
- Root: *weraldi
- Root: *weraldiz

## Etymology
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-na…

## AI Etymology
World: The etymological chain runs 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”). Important historical forms include Middle English world, Old English weorold, Proto-West Germanic *weraldi, and Proto-Germanic *weraldiz.

## Topics
- General Vocabulary

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world

Meanings

Thesaurus

Appears in

Phrases (12)

Idioms (6)

Proverbs (24)

Simplified etymology

Etymology

Topics

External links

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