unworldly

adjective

un·​world·​ly ˌən-ˈwər(-ə)l-dlē How to pronounce unworldly (audio)
-ˈwərl-lē
1
: not of this world : unearthly
specifically : spiritual
2
a
: not wise in the ways of the world : naive
b
: not swayed by mundane considerations
unworldliness noun

Examples of unworldly in a Sentence

the unworldly beauty of the Grand Canyon the guy's unworldly enough to think that any stranger who would approach him on a city street is simply trying to help him
Recent Examples on the Web Buruma, who excels at setting a rather unworldly man in the public life of his time, describes how, in 1672, a mob in The Hague lynched Johan and Cornelis de Witt, brothers who had led the Netherlands’ liberal regime during what is now remembered as the Dutch Golden Age. Adam Kirsch, The New Yorker, 5 Feb. 2024 Lucky for them, Vegas is an unworldly place. Mark Gray, Peoplemag, 29 Nov. 2022 After leaving his rural village for Paris, Lucien befriends another writer, Etienne (Vincent Lacoste), who introduces his unworldly protege to an exciting cadre of liberal journalists — including a publisher played by Gérard Depardieu — who regularly attack the royalist government. Pat Padua, Washington Post, 28 June 2022 The Nets are putting their hopes in a player who has an unworldly skill set for someone his height and was challenging LeBron James for the title of the game's best player, and a coach who is creative, highly intelligent, team-driven and competitive as hell. Duane Rankin, The Arizona Republic, 3 Dec. 2020 And there the journey entered an unworldly realm. F. Salazar, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Sep. 2020 From the beginning, Monroe’s contemporaries understood her unworldly charm to be accidental, and tied to a supposed infantile nature. Sophie Lewis, Harper’s Magazine , 26 Oct. 2022 The look might be a tad chic and sophisticated for unworldly ditz Muriel, but the star looks so sensational, who’s quibbling? David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Mar. 2022 Whereas Galgut’s clarity of vision can seem sometimes almost unworldly, Diski is nothing if not parti pris. Claire Messud, Harper's Magazine, 16 Mar. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unworldly.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1707, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of unworldly was in 1707

Dictionary Entries Near unworldly

Cite this Entry

“Unworldly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unworldly. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

unworldly

adjective
un·​world·​ly ˌən-ˈwər(-ə)l-dlē How to pronounce unworldly (audio)
-ˈwərl-lē,
ˈən-
1
: not of this world
2
: not wise in the ways of the world : unsophisticated
unworldliness noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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