earthly

adjective

earth·​ly ˈərth-lē 

1

a

: characteristic of or belonging to this earth

b

: relating to the human race's actual life on this earth

2

: possible

of what earthly use is it?

earthliness noun

Synonyms

• carnal
• earthborn
• earthbound
• fleshly
• material
• mundane
• sublunary
• temporal
• terrene
• terrestrial
• worldly

Choose the Right Synonym for earthly

earthly, worldly, mundane 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

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

and mundane suggesting reference to the immediate and practical.

a mundane discussion of finances

Examples of earthly in a Sentence

a sermon against our obsession with earthly pursuits

Recent Examples on the Web

His earthly travails were soul-sapping and then some. —George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 June 2025

The Yoruba people believe that the Osun-Osogbo grove, which sprawls across 185 acres of dense forest, is the goddess Osun’s earthly home. —Ogar Monday, Christian Science Monitor, 8 May 2025

But in the earthly order, utility—usefulness for man—is the main determiner of value. —Alejandro Antonio Chafuen, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025

The Assumption, proclaimed by Pius XII in 1950, is the doctrine that Mary was taken body and soul into heaven at the end of her earthly life. —Dennis Doyle, The Conversation, 8 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for earthly

• unearthly

Kids Definition

earthly

adjective

earth·​ly ˈərth-lē 

1

: belonging to or having to do with the earth

earthly joys

2

: imaginable, possible

that tool is of no earthly use

earthliness noun