EARTHLY Synonyms: 44 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'earthly' distinct from other similar adjectives?

The words mundane and worldly are common synonyms of earthly . While all three words 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

Q: When is 'mundane' a more appropriate choice than 'earthly'?

In some situations, the words mundane and earthly are roughly equivalent. However, mundane suggests reference to the immediate and practical. // a mundane discussion of finances

Q: How are the words 'worldly' and 'mundane' related as synonyms of 'earthly'?

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

earthly

adjective

ˈərth-lē

Definition of earthly

as in temporal

having to do with life on earth especially as opposed to that in heaven a sermon against our obsession with earthly pursuits

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How is the word earthly distinct from other similar adjectives?

The words mundane and worldly are common synonyms of earthly. While all three words 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

When is mundane a more appropriate choice than earthly?

In some situations, the words mundane and earthly are roughly equivalent. However, mundane suggests reference to the immediate and practical.

a mundane discussion of finances

How are the words worldly and mundane related as synonyms of earthly?

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

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of earthly Instead, Farage's main opponent is Count Binface, a political satirist posing as a comic space alien, with a keen interest in earthly matters, including the positioning of a hand dryer in the men's toilet in a pub in west London. — ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026 On a molecular level, earthly life takes this to the extreme. — Berly McCoy, NPR, 10 Aug. 2026 Terry’s earthly life may have ended, but his dream does not have to. — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Aug. 2026 Conjuring fantasies is one of humanity’s most ancient arts — a sacred creative practice — but without earthly rooting, the symphony is incomplete. — Goth Shakira, Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for earthly

Recent Examples of Synonyms for earthly

Adjective

Curiously, cobalt was linked with a small rise in amyloid-beta proteins in the inferior temporal cortex.

— Mike McRae August 31, New Atlas, 1 Sep. 2026
The happy faces lit up their temporal cortex and caudate nucleus, which are parts of the brain associated with higher cognitive and reward processing.

— Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of temporal

Adjective

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, Encyclopedia Britannica, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of terrestrial

Adjective

These digital wallets have also started to link to credit cards and are becoming a more common way to pay than with physical cards.

— Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2026
These players were arguably Tottenham’s most dominant physical profiles and headers of the ball last term.

— Elias Burke, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of physical

Adjective

Vegetable Oils Vegetable and seed oils are some of the richest non-animal dietary sources of CoQ10.

— Verywell Health, Verywell Health, 16 July 2026
Computer models and other non-animal testing methods still aren’t the best available science, critics contend.

— Michael Hawthorne, Chicago Tribune, 21 June 2026

Definition of animal

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earthlike

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earthquake

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“Earthly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/earthly. Accessed 13 Sep. 2026.

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