terrestrial

adjective

ter·​res·​tri·​al tə-ˈre-st(r)ē-əl  -ˈres-chəl 

-ˈresh-

1

a

: of or relating to the earth or its inhabitants

terrestrial magnetism

b

: mundane in scope or character : prosaic

2

a

: of or relating to land as distinct from air or water

terrestrial transportation

b(1)

: living on or in or growing from land

terrestrial plants

terrestrial birds

(2)

: of or relating to terrestrial organisms

terrestrial habits

3

: belonging to the class of planets that are like the earth (as in density and silicate composition)

the terrestrial planets Mercury, Venus, and Mars

terrestrial noun

terrestrially adverb

Did you know?

Terrestrial might be a pretty down-to-earth word, but some of its relatives are out of this world. "Terrestrial" first appeared in English in the 15th century and derives from the Latin root terra, which means "earth." In the mid-1800s "extra-" was added to "terrestrial," giving us "extraterrestrial," an adjective that can be used to describe things (including science fiction creatures) that come from space. "Terrestrial" shares the "-al" suffix with "celestial," which was first used in the 14th century. Not surprisingly, "celestial" ("of or relating to the sky or visible heavens") traces back to the Latin for sky, "caelum."

Synonyms of terrestrial

• temporal
• mundane
• physical
• animal
• earthly

Examples of terrestrial in a Sentence

The toad has terrestrial habits, spending most of its time on shore.

scientists haven't even found all the terrestrial life on our planet

Recent Examples on the Web

After the 2005 Ashes, when the popularity of the game in the United Kingdom was at its peak, the rights shifted from terrestrial broadcaster Channel 4 to Sky’s subscription service, thus putting it out of reach for millions of people. — Nick Miller, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026

Bioconcentration, by contrast, is a more specific process that refers exclusively to the uptake of contaminants through non-dietary pathways, primarily via respiration (from water in aquatic organisms and from air in terrestrial organisms). — Encyclopedia Britannica, 3 Sep. 2026

The Freely free-TV service is built in, meaning the legacy terrestrial channels as well as their on-demand content are available. — Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2026

The company says the flights will generate mechanical, structural, and quality data that can be compared with terrestrial alternatives. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 2 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin terrestris, from terra earth — more at terrace entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for terrestrial

• estriol
• extraterrestrial

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Kids Definition

terrestrial

adjective

ter·​res·​tri·​al tə-ˈres-trē-əl  -ˈres-chəl 

-ˈresh-chəl

1

: of or relating to the earth or its living things

2

a

: of or relating to land as distinct from air or water

terrestrial transportation

b

: living on or in or growing from land

terrestrial plants

terrestrial birds