Definition of earthlynext

Synonym Chooser

How is the word earthly distinct from other similar adjectives?

The words mundane and worldly are common synonyms of earthly. While all three words mean "belonging to or characteristic of the earth," earthly often implies a contrast with what is heavenly or spiritual.

abandoned earthly concerns and entered a convent

When is mundane a more appropriate choice than earthly?

In some situations, the words mundane and earthly are roughly equivalent. However, mundane suggests reference to the immediate and practical.

a mundane discussion of finances

How are the words worldly and mundane related as synonyms of earthly?

Worldly and mundane both imply a relation to the immediate concerns and activities of human beings, worldly suggesting tangible personal gain or gratification.

worldly goods

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of earthly The British journalist Malcolm Muggeridge, who converted to Christianity late in his life, pointed out that Jesus’s entire ministry was directed against the pretensions of earthly power. Peter Wehner, The Atlantic, 10 June 2026 Everything evoked in this universe—the height and history of the pyramids, the seasonally and topographically constrained activity of skiing, the physics of the ocean, the feeling of wind, even the very idea of distance—is an echo of an echo of the earthly. Jenny Odell, Longreads, 2 June 2026 What feels like sci-fi resolves into a Realist worker portrait as a technological fantasy of efficiency chafes against the fleshy, earthly physical world. Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 24 May 2026 Escaping into a world clouded with fantasy — scenarios that, at least on this earthly plane, could never happen — is a fun way to temporarily pretend. Samantha Sasso, Vulture, 22 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for earthly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for earthly
Adjective
  • 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.
    Guy Lodge, Variety, 19 June 2026
  • 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.
    Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 18 June 2026
Adjective
  • Now, new research may rewrite the definition of these planets that make the solar system look a little bit mundane.
    Robert Lea, Space.com, 1 July 2026
  • However, Mamdani wasted no time putting his stamp on the relatively small Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME), which is tasked with comparatively mundane administrative duties of issuing shooting permits to film and TV productions.
    Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 30 June 2026
Adjective
  • The terrestrial fueling hardware designed for the Artemis program’s Space Launch System rockets simply cannot function in an orbital environment.
    Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 30 June 2026
  • The remaining planetesimals that did not form into the terrestrial planets are the asteroids of today, left to orbit the inner portion of the solar system.
    Adam Lark, Scientific American, 28 June 2026
Adjective
  • Balogun crashed into Bosnia’s Tarik Muharemović, landing his foot on top of Muharemović’s during the physical match.
    Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026
  • Hawaiian Tropic’s zinc oxide formula, a physical UV blocker, brushes on with a matte, translucent finish and leaves no white cast on most skin tones.
    Lauren Jarvis-Gibson July 1, Kansas City Star, 2 July 2026
Adjective
  • Computer models and other non-animal testing methods still aren’t the best available science, critics contend.
    Michael Hawthorne, Chicago Tribune, 21 June 2026
  • The charity reports a 70% increase in multi-animal incidents across England and Wales since 2021, defining such cases as those involving 10 or more animals.
    Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 9 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Earthly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/earthly. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.

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