mundane

adjective mun·dane \ ˌmən-ˈdān , ˈmən-ˌ \

Updated on: 16 Apr 2018

Definition of mundane

1 : of, relating to, or characteristic of the world

2 : characterized by the practical, transitory, and ordinary : commonplace

the mundane concerns of day-to-day life

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mundanely

adverb

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mundaneness

play \-ˈdān-nəs, -ˌdān-\ noun

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mundanity

play \ˌmən-ˈdā-nə-tē\ noun

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See mundane defined for kids

Examples of mundane in a Sentence

On him, a mundane navy blazer looked like an Armani dinner jacket; around him, a dusky locker room became the chandeliered lobby of the Savoy. —Curry Kirkpatrick, ESPN, 19 Mar. 2001
How did our ancestors pass from the mundane activity of counting to the concept of 'number' in the abstract, devoid of any particular collection of objects to label? —John D. Barrow, Pi in the Sky, 1992
They decided on buttock tattoos, rather than the more mundane engagement ring, because a tattoo is permanent. You can always pawn a ring. —Mike Royko, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 1988
The day began with the mundane business of getting my white chiffon dress shortened … —Lady Bird Johnson, January 14, 1964, in A White House Diary, 1970
mundane chores, like washing dishes
They lead a pretty mundane life.
prayer and meditation helped her put her mundane worries aside

Recent Examples of mundane from the Web

There’s a grand gesture to be made, something white-hot, fabulous, hilarious, or utterly perplexing to be crafted, and that trumps our mundane concerns with utility and functionality.

— michael ward, Curbed, "‘Trading Spaces’ and finding an unlikely queer icon in Hildi Santo-Tomas," 5 Apr. 2018
Rebecca and the gang are growing up and finding themselves, which will hopefully mean their existences are close to becoming too mundane to make for entertaining television.

— laura bradley, HWD, "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Will End After Its Fourth Season—As It Should," 2 Apr. 2018
Most of the projects have not gotten beyond pilot testing, and many are aimed at transforming mundane corporate tasks like financial trading and accounting.

— New York Times, "Tech Thinks It Has a Fix for the Problems It Created: Blockchain," 1 Apr. 2018
That includes every like, message, event response, and any other mundane action on Facebook that could be used to profile a person.

— NBC News, "How to use Facebook's new data privacy tools," 28 Mar. 2018
The controversy over Klub 24 — named for its sleepless operating hours — isn’t about corruption but more mundane city codes and permits.

— jay weaver, miamiherald, "Opa-locka power broker now running police security for controversial strip club | Miami Herald," 27 Mar. 2018
Long known for low pay and mundane tasks, retail work is changing as stores emphasize customer service to compete with online sellers.

— nathan bomey, USA TODAY, "Claire's Stores jewelry chain files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection," 19 Mar. 2018
At 22, Robinson is in that phase of life where performing mundane adulthood tasks still feels thrilling.

— amy kaufman, latimes.com, "Nick Robinson steps into the spotlight as a teen coming out in 'Love, Simon'," 16 Mar. 2018
Everyday, mundane situations are surprisingly messy and complex, often in subtle ways.

— johannes himmelreich, BostonGlobe.com, "The everyday moral challenges of self-driving cars," 30 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'mundane.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of mundane

Middle English mondeyne, from Anglo-French mundain, from Late Latin mundanus, from Latin mundus world

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First Known Use: 15th century

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mundane Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of mundane

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