world

1. (with "the" or a plural possessive pronoun) The subjective human experience, regarded collectively; human collective existence; existence in general; the reality we live in.Examples: "In retrospect, the process of economic globalization has meant the end of the world as we knew it."; "There will always be lovers, till the world’s end."; "O wonder! / How many goodly creatures are there here! / How beauteous mankind is! / O brave new world, / That has such people in 't."Synonyms: World

2. (with "the" or a singular possessive pronoun) The subjective human experience, regarded individually.Examples: "The period immediately following my divorce seemed like the end of my world."; "He was my world! [said of a slain companion]"; "The world was awake to the 2nd of May, but Mayfair is not the world, and even the menials of Mayfair lie long abed. As they turned into Hertford Street they startled a robin from the poet's head on a barren fountain, and he fled away with a cameo note."

3. (metonymic, with "the") A majority of people.Examples: "Running after God is the only life worth living. Even though the world believes that living for God is boring, we believe that there is nothing more exciting."metonymicallywith-definite-article

4. (with "the") The Earth, especially in a geopolitical or cultural context, or as the physical planet.Examples: "People are dying of starvation all over the world."; "“As the world turns, we know the bleakness of winter, the promise of spring, the fullness of summer and the harvest of autumn–the cycle of life is complete.” - quotation attributed to Irna Phillips."; "Serene, smiling, enigmatic, she faced him with no fear whatever showing in her dark eyes.[…]She put back a truant curl from her forehead where it had sought egress to the world, and looked him full in the face now, drawing a deep breath which caused the round of her bosom to lift the lace at her throat."Synonyms: the earth, Earth, the globe, God's green earth, Sol III, the planetwith-definite-article

5. (with "a") Any of several possible scenarios concerning The Earth, either as the physical planet, or in a geopolitical, cultural or societal context.Examples: "Who would want to live in a world like this?"

6. (countable) (Several) alternative scenarios concerning The Earth, either as the physical planet, or in a geopolitical, cultural or societal context.Examples: "the best of all possible worlds. In the French original: le meilleur des mondes possibles. In German: die beste aller möglichen Welten."countable