irl

IRL is an initialism for in real life, used in online communication to distinguish events, interactions, or experiences that occur outside the digital or virtual space from those that happen online. It functions as a descriptor for people, activities, or traits that are not mediated by the internet.

Its usage developed with online communities in the late 1990s and early 2000s, especially within forums, chat rooms, and multiplayer games, where participants often contrasted their online personas with their real-world identities. The term has become widespread across social media, streaming platforms, and meme culture, where it helps specify when something pertains to the real world rather than the online world.

IRL can modify nouns, verbs, and phrases. Examples include IRL friend, IRL meet, or I did that IRL. A sentence such as "I'm going to an IRL event" refers to a real-world gathering rather than a virtual one. IRL content is commonly contrasted with online-only or in-game content.

Safety and etiquette considerations accompany IRL usage. Discussing or arranging real-world meetings from online spaces can raise privacy and safety concerns, so many guidelines emphasize caution with personal information, meeting in public places, and ensuring mutual consent. Some online communities prefer to keep online and offline lives separate, while others organize IRL meetups or collaborative projects to bridge online and real-world participation.