Only when written 世
Refers to the human world or society at large, often in expressions like 世に知られる and 世の中.
There are many different ways of thinking in society.
His invention soon became known to the public.
Mostly found in set or literary-sounding expressions such as 世を去る, meaning to leave this life or pass away; not the usual everyday word for one's life, which is 人生 or 生活.
He passed away at a young age.
age; era; period; generation
Used for a historical age or social period; the 代 spelling with reading よ is possible but much less common than 世 in ordinary learner-facing contexts.
The age of the samurai ended, and the Meiji era began.
Historical or elevated use for the period of someone's rule, especially in phrases like 徳川の世 or 王の世.
When Tokugawa rule ended, the structure of the country also changed greatly.
the times; the age we live in
Only when written 世
Refers rhetorically to the current state or trend of the times, as in 世はまさに....
The times are truly an age of digitalization.
world of existence
Only when written 世
Buddhist use for the world of existence, often with a nuance of the deluded or suffering world from which one seeks liberation.
In Buddhism, leaving the world of deluded existence is regarded as an ideal.
He made his debut in the world at a young age.
My grandfather quietly passed away last year.
The age of the Tokugawa lasted 260 years.
The king had long ruled over this country's era.
The times changed, and people's values changed with them.
He became a monk and renounced the world.
fleeting life; transient world; floating world · sad world; world of grief and worry · this world; the world of the living; present life · red-light districts; pleasure quarters
making a living; getting on in the world
heir; successor
world reformation; social reform; fixing the world
hermit; recluse
ordinary; run-of-the-mill; usual
eternalness; forever unchanging · distant land over the sea; world of the dead
antiquity; ancient times
world conditions; the times
many generations; many ages; many years
grumbling; muttering nonsense
living; livelihood; making a living
previous existence; past life
previous existence; previous life
future generations; posterity; the next world
afterlife; realm of the dead; hidden world
this world; the present world