What does 'IRL' stand for in online chats?

“What does ‘IRL’ stand for in online chats?” — “In real life.” Online, IRL traditionally distinguishes offline experiences and face-to-face encounters from activities conducted through the internet. Someone might say they met an online friend “IRL” to clarify that the meeting happened in person.

The expression became established in internet communities as users needed a compact way to contrast online and offline contexts. It is common in chat, gaming, forums, and social media: “I know her online, but we have never met IRL.” The related abbreviation RL means “real life,” while AFK means “away from keyboard,” usually describing temporary unavailability rather than the broader offline world.

Some people question the phrase because online relationships and activities are also part of real life. Even so, IRL remains widely understood as shorthand for “offline” or “in person.” It should not be confused with “in real love” or “I’m really late,” which are not the standard meanings in online chat.