world
/wɜːld/ (bre, ipa) · /wɜːrld/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈwər(-ə)ld/ (ame, mw)
world — noun
- worldsingular
- worldsplural
1. the planet Earth, including every country, ocean, mountain, and city on it, as w
the planet Earth, including every country, ocean, mountain, and city on it, as well as all the people who live there.
Mount Fuji is one of the most famous sights in the world.
collocation: in the world
People from all over the world visited the art exhibition in Paris.
collocation: all over the world
The airplane flew halfway around the world before landing in Dubai.
The world's population passed eight billion people in 2023.
Rin and her classmates studied maps of every continent in the world.
用法筆記
Often used with 'the' as a singular noun referring to the one planet everyone lives on. No article is used in compounds such as 'world peace' or 'world history'.
常見錯誤
2. a particular area of activity, interest, or work; a specific group of people, co
a particular area of activity, interest, or work; a specific group of people, countries, animals, or things that share a common feature.
The fashion world changes its trends faster than any other industry.
pattern: the [domain] world
In the world of professional sports, athletes train for years to compete.
pattern: the world of [domain]
The natural world holds millions of species that scientists have not yet identified.
Adaeze works in the publishing world and edits books for a large company.
The business world has changed a lot since remote work became common.
用法筆記
Follows the pattern 'the [adjective] world' (the natural world, the Arab world) or 'the world of [noun]' (the world of fashion, the world of science). When referring to a geographical region, the adjective is often a proper noun: 'the English-speaking world', 'the developing world'.
常見錯誤
3. any large object in space — for instance, a planet, moon, or star — that could p
any large object in space — for instance, a planet, moon, or star — that could possibly support or host life.
Astronomers believe other worlds may orbit stars in distant solar systems.
pattern: other worlds / distant worlds
The science fiction novel describes a frozen world where two suns rise each morning.
Cyrus read about a newly discovered world orbiting a star far beyond our galaxy.
Space telescopes allow us to study worlds that are billions of kilometres from Earth.
A rover sent back images of a dusty red world with mountains taller than Earth's.
- planet
the standard scientific term; less literary than 'world'
- celestial body
formal technical term covering planets, stars, moons, asteroids
- globe
can refer to a round planet; poetic or visual in tone
用法筆記
Common in science fiction and space science. In everyday conversation, 'planet' is far more frequent than 'world' for this meaning.
4. the particular environment, relationships, activities, and experiences that make
the particular environment, relationships, activities, and experiences that make up a single person's life.
After losing her job, Talia felt as though her whole world had collapsed.
collocation: [possessive] whole world
Hiro's world revolves around his family and his small bookstore in Kyoto.
pattern: [possessive] world revolves around
When Aarav started university, he entered a whole new world of ideas and people.
The virtual reality game let Brandon escape into a fantasy world of his own making.
Moving to a new country opened up a world of unfamiliar customs for Élise.
- life
broader; 'world' adds a sense of contained environment
- environment
more neutral and factual; less emotional
- universe
even broader; suggests everything someone knows or experiences
用法筆記
Frequently takes a possessive determiner (my world, her world, their world). The phrase 'a world of [something]' is common when describing new experiences opened up to someone.
常見錯誤
5. ordinary human existence on earth, with its material concerns and physical pleas
ordinary human existence on earth, with its material concerns and physical pleasures, especially when contrasted with spiritual or religious life.
The monks gave up all worldly possessions to devote themselves entirely to prayer.
collocation: worldly possessions (derived adjective)
Many religious teachings urge followers to look beyond this world toward the life to come.
Father Okafor told the congregation their true home is in heaven, not in this world.
In her final years Beatrix focused more on spiritual growth than worldly concerns.
The saint turned away from the world to live in complete solitude.
- earth
shorter form used in phrases like 'on earth'; broader
- mortal life
emphasises the temporary nature of human existence
- the secular world
formal; emphasises non-religious aspects
- heaven
the spiritual afterlife in many religions
- the afterlife
general term for existence after death
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 4 (PERSONAL SPHERE): sense 5 contrasts earthly/material life with spiritual or afterlife, while sense 4 describes a person's everyday experiences without that contrast. This sense is most common in religious, philosophical, or literary contexts.
world — adjective
- worldpositive
- worldercomparative
- worldestsuperlative
1. relating to the entire planet, all human society, or international affairs rathe
relating to the entire planet, all human society, or international affairs rather than to a single country or local area.
World peace is a goal that every nation claims to support.
collocation: world peace
The United Nations deals with major world issues such as climate change and poverty.
collocation: world issues
Paul took a course in world history that covered events from every continent.
World leaders gathered in Geneva to discuss a new climate agreement.
The economist wrote a book about world trade and its effect on poor countries.
- global
can be used both before and after nouns; more common in scientific contexts
- international
focuses on relations between countries rather than the whole planet
用法筆記
Always used before a noun (attributive). Cannot follow a linking verb: 'This problem is world' is incorrect. Use 'global' or 'worldwide' after a linking verb instead.
常見錯誤
2. existing, happening, or recognised in every part of the world; extending across
existing, happening, or recognised in every part of the world; extending across the entire planet.
The singer became a world celebrity after her album sold ten million copies.
collocation: world celebrity
Deng's coffee company built a world distribution network across forty countries.
The disease spread at world scale within just a few months of the outbreak.
Mayumi's research achieved world recognition in the field of marine biology.
The film festival draws world attention every year with its premieres and red-carpet events.
- localised
limited to a small area
用法筆記
This sense combines with nouns to mean that something is present or recognised everywhere. It is especially common in compounds such as world-famous, world-renowned, and world-class, though those are increasingly written as hyphenated compounds.
3. involving, affecting, or applying to the whole planet or all of human society; n
involving, affecting, or applying to the whole planet or all of human society; not limited to one region.
The Second World War changed the political landscape of every inhabited continent.
collocation: World War [number]
World events such as the Olympic Games bring people from many nations together.
Climate change is a world problem that no single government can solve by itself.
The pandemic became a world crisis that affected hospitals, schools, and businesses everywhere.
Mauricio presented a world outlook on energy policy at the international summit.
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 2 (WORLDWIDE): sense 2 describes something that exists or is recognised everywhere geographically, whereas sense 3 describes something whose scope or impact extends to the entire planet — an event, problem, or policy that affects everyone.
4. recognised internationally as one of the best or most important in a particular
recognised internationally as one of the best or most important in a particular field.
Mauricio is a world authority on climate science and advises several governments.
collocation: world authority
The museum displays world treasures from ancient Egypt, Greece, and Mesopotamia.
Chef Talia earned a world reputation for her innovative plant-based tasting menu.
The university recruited a world expert in artificial intelligence from South Korea.
Beatrix performed at a world venue that hosts only the finest classical musicians.
- world-class
the full compound; more common and explicit in modern usage
- world-renowned
emphasises fame rather than quality
- top
informal; less precise
- unknown
not recognised internationally
- second-rate
of lower quality
用法筆記
Often interchangeable with 'world-class', though 'world' alone is more compressed and used in fixed collocations. The full compound 'world-class' is more common in modern English for this meaning.