1
as in cosmopolitan
having a wide and refined knowledge of the world especially from personal experience
she returned from her year as an exchange student a much more worldly person
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in mundane
having to do with life on earth especially as opposed to that in heaven
preoccupied with worldly concerns
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of worldly
Countless culinary experiences that showcase both local and worldly flavors.
—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Charlotte Observer,
11 May 2026
Just as the worldly novel tends to do, most of us dodge and deny this fundamental experiment, since the revelation would seem to rob life of the jewel of meaning.
—
James Wood,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
At 59, Romans is worldly, well-spoken and well-educated.
—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
2 May 2026
There’s no perfect yardstick of worldly business heft.
—
Jonathan Lansner,
Oc Register,
2 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for worldly
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Charlotte Observer,
11 May 2026
Just as the worldly novel tends to do, most of us dodge and deny this fundamental experiment, since the revelation would seem to rob life of the jewel of meaning.
—
James Wood,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
At 59, Romans is worldly, well-spoken and well-educated.
—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
2 May 2026
There’s no perfect yardstick of worldly business heft.
—
Jonathan Lansner,
Oc Register,
2 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for worldly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for worldly
Adjective
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This cool, cosmopolitan hotel is within walking distance of Bend’s best restaurants, shops, and the Deschutes River, and was named one of the best in the country by Tripadvisor users in 2025.
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After the Danish‑Caribbean imprint of the Virgin Islands, San Juan introduces a wider, more cosmopolitan rhythm with Spanish colonial architecture, Afro‑Caribbean culture and the hum of a bustling Latin American city.
Adjective
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Over the course of the 2030s, the idea of telepathy will go from novel and futuristic to ubiquitous and mundane.
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The videos shot selfie-style show Kasemeier completing mundane tasks like shaving, or making a meal for his kids while giving the internet a glimpse into his week as a dad.
Adjective
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Featuring a classic Damask print, this three-piece quilt set will make any bedroom feel elegant and sophisticated.
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Feeling like finding this 950-square-foot apartment was kismet, Miranda-Martin signed the lease and set about creating a sophisticated and color-saturated sanctuary.
Adjective
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Though editor Yorgos Mavropsaridis (a Yorgos Lanthimos regular) cuts the film with brisk concision, there’s also a welcome temporal elasticity here — the sense that life can change in the blink of an eye, but also stall for undefined passages.
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The researchers fed this millennium-long data into a computer model to determine how much stress has built up along the faults in that temporal window.
Adjective
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For decades, biologists thought that early tetrapods, ancient vertebrates that started conquering the land over 300 million years ago, developed like modern amphibians—beginning their lives as purely aquatic tadpoles and then metamorphosing into terrestrial adults.
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Running is the fastest terrestrial gait, following walking, trotting, and galloping.
Adjective
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In the absence of an official investigation, the incident last September has been magnified, and perhaps embellished, in the minds of veterans living on the campus, a community defined by the vulnerability of physical disability, substance use and trauma.
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Doulas practice across the country to assist patients before, during, and after childbirth, particularly with their emotional and physical needs.
Adjective
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People at the most senior levels of the government have no earthly idea what's being discussed inside the White House, inside the Oval Office and the Situation Room.
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The new season will get around to that question, though the alien and earthly plot lines are kept on separate tracks.
Cite this Entry
“Worldly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/worldly. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.
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