1. The world of immediate, lived experience and everyday reality as perceived and understood by an individual or community, prior to scientific or theoretical analysis.
Usage: philosophical and sociological term; often used in phenomenology and social theory

Examples

• In phenomenology, the lifeworld refers to the pre-reflective, taken-for-granted aspects of daily existence.
• The sociologist examined how technology has transformed the lifeworld of modern families.
• Understanding a culture requires attention to its lifeworld—the shared meanings and practices of its members.
• The patient's lifeworld was disrupted by the sudden diagnosis.
• Researchers sought to bridge the gap between abstract theory and the lifeworld of working people.