O.E. woruld, worold "human existence, the affairs of life," also "the human race, mankind," a word peculiar to Gmc. languages (cf. O.S. werold, O.Fris. warld, Du. wereld, O.N. verold, O.H.G. weralt, Ger. Welt), with a literal sense of "age of man," from P.Gmc. *wer "man" (O.E. wer, still in werewolf; see virile) + *ald "age" (see old). Originally "life on earth, this world (as opposed to the afterlife)," sense extended to "the known world" (e.g. "Greatest Show on Earth"), then to "the physical world in the broadest sense, the universe" (c.1200). In O.E. gospels, the commonest word for "the physical world," was Middangeard (O.N. Midgard), lit. "the middle enclosure" (cf. yard), which is rooted in Gmc. cosmology. Gk. kosmos in its ecclesiastical sense of "world of people" sometimes was rendered in Goth. as manaseþs, lit. "seed of man." The usual O.N. word was heimr, lit. "abode" (see home). Words for "world" in some other I.E. languages derive from the root for "bottom, foundation" (cf. Ir. domun, O.C.S. duno, related to Eng. deep); the Lith. word is pasaulis, from pa- "under" + saule "sun." Original sense in world without end, translating L. sæcula sæculorum, and in worldly. L. sæculum can mean both "age" and "world," as can Gk. aion. Worldwide is from 1632. World power in the geopolitical sense first recorded 1900. World-class is attested from 1950, originally of Olympic athletes.

the planet Earth
Example: every country of the world

Arabic: كَوْكَب الأرْض، العالَم Chinese (Simplified): 世界 Chinese (Traditional): 世界 Czech: svět Danish: jorden Dutch: wereld Estonian: maailm Finnish: maailma French: monde German: die Welt Greek: κόσμος Hungarian: föld(kerekség), világ Icelandic: jörðin Indonesian: dunia Italian: mondo	Japanese: 世界 Korean: 지구, 세계 Latvian: pasaule; zeme Lithuanian: pasaulis Norwegian: jorda Polish: świat Portuguese (Brazil): mundo Portuguese (Portugal): mundo Romanian: lume, pământ Russian: земной шар Slovak: svet Slovenian: svet Spanish: mundo Swedish: värld Turkish: dünya

the people who live on the planet Earth
Example: The whole world is waiting for a cure for cancer.

Arabic: النّاس على سَطْح الأرْض Chinese (Simplified): 世人 Chinese (Traditional): 世人 Czech: svět Danish: verden Dutch: wereld Estonian: rahvas, üldsus Finnish: maailma French: monde German: die Welt Greek: κόσμος Hungarian: világ Icelandic: mannkynið Indonesian: penduduk dunia Italian: mondo	Japanese: 世界中の人々 Korean: 인류, 인간 Latvian: pasaule; cilvēce; cilvēki visā pasaulē Lithuanian: žmonija Norwegian: folk, alle, (hele) verden Polish: świat Portuguese (Brazil): mundo Portuguese (Portugal): mundo Romanian: planetă Russian: мир Slovak: svet, ľudstvo Slovenian: svet Spanish: mundo Swedish: värld Turkish: Dünya, herkes, bütün insanlar

any planet etc
Example: people from other worlds

Arabic: أي كَوْكَب آخر Chinese (Simplified): 天体 Chinese (Traditional): 天體 Czech: svět Danish: planet Dutch: wereld Estonian: maailm(akõiksus) Finnish: maailmankaikkeus French: monde German: die Welt Greek: κόσμος, πλανήτης Hungarian: világ Icelandic: heimur, veröld Indonesian: planet Italian: mondo	Japanese: 天体 Korean: 행성 Latvian: pasaule; planēta Lithuanian: pasaulis Norwegian: planet, verden Polish: świat Portuguese (Brazil): mundo Portuguese (Portugal): mundo Romanian: uni­vers Russian: мир Slovak: svet, vesmír Slovenian: svet Spanish: mundo Swedish: värld Turkish: Dünya

a state of existence
Example: Many people believe that after death the soul enters the next world; Do concentrate! You seem to be living in another world.

Arabic: عالَم، وُجود Chinese (Simplified): 世界 Chinese (Traditional): 世界 Czech: svět Danish: verden Dutch: wereld Estonian: ilm Finnish: elämä French: monde German: die Welt Greek: κόσμος, ύπαρξη Hungarian: világ Icelandic: (annar) heimur, annað tilverustig Indonesian: alam Italian: mondo	Japanese: 世 Korean: 이승, 저승 Latvian: pasaule Lithuanian: pasaulis Norwegian: verden, tilværelse Polish: świat Portuguese (Brazil): mundo Portuguese (Portugal): mundo Romanian: lume, planetă Russian: мир Slovak: svet Slovenian: svet Spanish: mundo Swedish: värld, liv Turkish: varlık, mevcudiyet

an area of life or activity
Example: the insect world; the world of the international businessman

Arabic: عالَم ، مَجال Chinese (Simplified): 领域 Chinese (Traditional): 領域 Czech: svět Danish: verden Dutch: wereld Estonian: maailm, keskkond Finnish: maailma French: monde German: die Welt Greek: κόσμος, πληθυσμός Hungarian: világ Icelandic: tilgreint svið; heimur, ríki Indonesian: dunia Italian: mondo	Japanese: ～界 Korean: …계(界) Latvian: pasaule; vide Lithuanian: pasaulis Norwegian: verden, rike Polish: świat Portuguese (Brazil): mundo Portuguese (Portugal): mundo Romanian: lume Russian: мир Slovak: svet, ríša, sféra Slovenian: svet Spanish: mundo Swedish: värld Turkish: … dünyası, … âlemi

a great deal
Example: The holiday did him a/the world of good.

Arabic: مقداراً عَظيما Chinese (Simplified): 大量 Chinese (Traditional): 大量 Czech: velmi mnoho Danish: gøre godt Dutch: een hoop Estonian: kõvasti, palju Finnish: valtavan French: le plus grand bien German: eine Unmenge Greek: πολύ, σε μεγάλο βαθμό Hungarian: rengeteg Icelandic: mjög mikið Indonesian: banyak Italian: mondo	Japanese: 多く Korean: 다수, 다량 Latvian: milzums Lithuanian: daugybė Norwegian: meget (godt), alt Polish: moc, mnóstwo Portuguese (Brazil): colosso Portuguese (Portugal): imenso Romanian: un mare bine Russian: масса Slovak: veľmi veľa Slovenian: obilo Spanish: inmenso Swedish: oändligt Turkish: dünya kadar, büyük miktar

the lives and ways of ordinary people
Example: He's been a monk for so long that he knows nothing of the (outside) world.

Arabic: حَياة العالَم، النّاس العاديين Chinese (Simplified): 人世间 Chinese (Traditional): 人世間 Czech: svět Danish: verden (udenfor) Dutch: wereld Estonian: maailm Finnish: maailmanmeno French: monde German: die Welt Greek: κόσμος, ζωή Hungarian: világ Icelandic: veraldarvafstur Indonesian: dunia Italian: mondo	Japanese: 世間 Korean: 세상, 사회, 세상 물정 Latvian: pasaule; pasaulīgā dzīve Lithuanian: pasaulis Norwegian: hverdagslivet, den vanlige verden Polish: świat Portuguese (Brazil): mundo Portuguese (Portugal): mundo Romanian: lume Russian: мир Slovak: svet, život Slovenian: svet Spanish: mundo Swedish: värld, liv Turkish: dış dünya, *âlem