world-building

noun

world-build·​ing ˈwərl(d)-ˈbil-diŋ 

variants or less commonly world building or worldbuilding

: the creation of a fictional world (especially within the science fiction and fantasy genres) that is believable and consistent within the context of the story

The game pushes the limits of the PS4 graphically and packs so much mythos and backstory into its world-building that at times it feels more like a novel than a video game.

—Patrick Shanley

In my opinion, no one does world-building as well as Kate Elliott. It's subtle … but the world, culture, and societies she creates feel solid. If you think about them when you close the book, you can see how they could work; how the economics could work, how the governing could work, how the cultures formed.

—Michelle West

In postapocalyptic stories, world building typically emphasizes the new reality: new vocabulary to learn, new systems of government to understand, new social norms to parse.

—Shirley Li

It sounds like a lot to take in, but "The Sandman" neatly avoids many genre show pitfalls. While at times its premise and worldbuilding do feel a bit murky, for the most part, it's even less confusing for a layman to get into than other sprawling similar shows such as "Westworld" or "The Witcher."

—Lauren Sarner

Examples of world-building in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Paul Rudd's Ant-Man worked well as a comic foil to other MCU characters, and his movies were a fun break from superhero world-building. —Eliana Dockterman, TIME, 14 Feb. 2025

Three seasons in, this approach remains incisive in the ’90s story line, especially when combined with spooky world-building and supernatural imagination. —Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 14 Feb. 2025

Its cross-cultural world-building—etched, with shabbily retro flair, in boxy frames of grainy 16-mm. —Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2025

The Gathering has inspired decades of epic world-building and creative storytelling. —Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 6 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1983, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for world-building

• boatbuilding
• outbuilding
• rebuilding
• roadbuilding
• shipbuilding
• upbuilding
• bodybuilding
• building
• gilding