sublunary

adjective

sub·​lu·​na·​ry ˌsəb-ˈlü-nə-rē How to pronounce sublunary (audio)
ˈsəb-lu̇-ˌner-ē
variants or less commonly sublunar
ˌsəb-ˈlü-nər How to pronounce sublunary (audio)
 also  -ˌnär
: of, relating to, or characteristic of the terrestrial world
dull sublunary loversJohn Donne

Examples of sublunary in a Sentence

like all sublunary things, this misery will one day end
Recent Examples on the Web Our attention plunges in while the body remains firmly rooted in the sublunary world. Meghan O'Gieblyn, WIRED, 16 Aug. 2023 Planets and stars, eclipses and conjunctions would seem to have no direct effect on our lives, unlike the mundane and sublunary antics of our fellow humans. Alison Gopnik, WSJ, 25 Aug. 2022 In the profoundest sense, the words and deeds of a martyr say to her society that there is a higher world, a world that works according to a logic superior to that of this sublunary sphere. Dwight Lindley Iii, National Review, 16 May 2021 But change is the only constant in our sublunary world, as writers down the centuries have noted; Powell, too, knew this well. Neel Mukherjee, New York Times, 7 May 2018

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

Word History

Etymology

modification of Late Latin sublunaris, from Latin sub- + luna moon — more at lunar

First Known Use

1592, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sublunary was in 1592

Dictionary Entries Near sublunary

Cite this Entry

“Sublunary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sublunary. Accessed 14 Oct. 2024.

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