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

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

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

To remove any terrestrial water the 50-year-old samples would have absorbed since their return to Earth, Yeo and her team baked the samples overnight in a vacuum furnace. —Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 25 Apr. 2025

Scientists are concerned with how abiogenesis — the inception of life from non-living matter — could have occurred in the first place; some theories state that certain environments on Earth, like hydrothermal vents deep in the ocean or terrestrial hot springs, drove prebiotic processes. —Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 22 Apr. 2025

Facing the immense void and inherent dangers of space demands new collaboration, innovation and relational logic, driving an emergent cultural perspective fundamentally different from terrestrial norms. —Reema Khan, Forbes.com, 18 Apr. 2025

Each dry season, farmers carve up and burn hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of acres in one of the world’s largest terrestrial carbon sinks to make way for cattle pastures and soy plantations, the leading engines of deforestation across Brazil. —Sarah Sax, The Atlantic, 16 Apr. 2025

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