real time

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real time • n. the actual time during which a process or event occurs: recent natural experiments in which creolization by children can be observed in real time information updated in real time. ∎  [as adj.] (real-time) Comput. of or relating to a system in which input data is processed within milliseconds so that it is available virtually immediately as feedback, e.g., in a missile guidance or airline booking system: real-time signal processing. ∎ inf. a two-way conversation, as opposed to the delay of written correspondence: a place where two people can talk to one another in real time.

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