What is IRL?

This heavily used online internet slang word means “in real life.” It’s used on social networks such as Snapchat, WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok to distinguish between the online and the physical world. The three-letter term was often used on old school sites like Myspace, Friendster, AOL, and Yahoo. Some people used the term to draw a line between their real-life personality and their online persona in those early days. You can use the term in all caps or not — either way is fine. Additionally, sometimes people drop the “i” and type “RL.” The slang term is very popular with online gamers and anyone who groups their friends into two circles: real life and online.

Examples of the term:

I met Tom Brady; he’s great IRL.You’re more beautiful, IRL.Gotta run, RL problems.

A sample conversion: The term being used on Twitter:

— thinking about dowoon (@dwthinker) July 18, 2021

— ☁️chin (@chinycto) July 18, 2021 https://twitter.com/SimmerChase/status/1416737510911266818

Other Meanings

You might also see the three letters put together to mean:

IrelandIt’s Ridiculously LameIndy Racing LeagueInternal Representation LanguageInternet Research LabInternational Racing LeagueIrish Investment Fund, Inc.Integrated Reader LockIndependent Reading LevelInsane Racing League

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