in the world—
1. on earth; in existence:
- He was considered to be one of the most famous artists in the world.
2. used as an intensifier in interrogative and negative contexts:
- If your actions tell an employee their job is too small for you to bother, then why in the world should they care?
Note: The expression does not fully correlate in meaning with the phrase in the wide world—
1. = in the world 2:
- He would never … dare mention this encounter to a living soul, for who in the wide world would believe him?
2. is used to imply contrast to one’s own home or country:
- A few years in the wide world and then back to the home paddock.
in this world—
1. = in the world 1:
- I feel that of all the people in this world, the Indians could preserve this land and nature the best.
2. during our life on earth (as distinguished from the world beyond the grave):
- So long as we are in this world we are exposed to temptations, and need ever to be on our watch against them.
Cf.: in another world —(also: in the next world) used of a state of existence after death:
- The interest of the Malabar widow, who burns herself with the corpse of her husband, is to recover him in another world.