Definition of mundanenext
1
2

Synonym Chooser

How is the word mundane distinct from other similar adjectives?

The words earthly and worldly are common synonyms of mundane. While all three words mean "belonging to or characteristic of the earth," mundane suggests reference to the immediate and practical.

a mundane discussion of finances

In what contexts can earthly take the place of mundane?

While in some cases nearly identical to mundane, earthly often implies a contrast with what is heavenly or spiritual.

abandoned earthly concerns and entered a convent

How are the words worldly and mundane related?

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 mundane But the incidents revealed by Transluce on Wednesday showed AI agents apparently going rogue earlier and during much more mundane tasks. — Max Saltman, CNN Money, 23 Sep. 2026 Red neon tubes illuminated art works ranging from the disturbing (a black-and-white photograph of a person stuffing sausages in their mouth) to the mundane (a pastoral painting of a snowshoe-wearing rifleman). — Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 11 Sep. 2026 The bingeable workplace comedy was about the glory of the mundane. — Monica Hesse, Washington Post, 11 Sep. 2026 That’s what enabled Mahomes to be on his way to Dallas for surgery the next morning, start rehabbing the day after that and navigate everything from pain to the mundane on his way back — as my colleague Sam McDowell explored in-depth last week. — Kansas City Star, 11 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for mundane
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mundane
Adjective
  • Their ultra-clean silhouette makes styling them seamless, too, proving fashion-forward shoes can be just as versatile as your everyday lineup.
    — Julia Morlino, Travel + Leisure, 28 Sep. 2026
  • The team of physicists has now theoretically eliminated a long-standing roadblock, opening the door for next-generation security chips that protect everyday data without slowing down performance.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 27 Sep. 2026
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
Adjective
  • While designers have no current use for their jump-otronic robots, the sheer amount of robotics development for terrestrial and extra-planetary exploration suggests that the photoleapers are a solution that will eventually find their problem.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 28 Sep. 2026
  • That capability is important for operations beyond Earth, where power systems cannot depend on an ambient terrestrial atmosphere.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 25 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Sometimes there isn’t enough time, mental, emotional, or physical capacity to take on another commitment, and that’s okay, too.
    — Jasmine Johnson, CNBC, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Rather than simply detecting physical obstacles, the system distinguishes between different types of messes and household objects to optimize cleaning strategies.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 29 Sep. 2026
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
Adjective
  • In the chamber’s center, a drop of water on a chip contains the chemistry of whatever earthly era or exoplanetary site the group is trying to re-create.
    — Sarah Scoles, Scientific American, 15 Sep. 2026
  • More importantly, the Zellner brothers platform earthly elements, like music and food, as our most essential joie de vivre.
    — Cortlyn Kelly, IndieWire, 8 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • The pair have just been evicted from their apartment, coming home from church to find all of their worldly possessions on the stairs.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 16 Sep. 2026
  • For another geological lure, Kolymbithres Beach in Paros features giant white granite rocks sculpted by the sea into other-worldly formations.
    — Jennifer Tzeses, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Those range from the macro-industrial such as aircraft parts and underwater pipelines to the micro-medical such as stents that prop open bodily channels for bodily fluids.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Much like how John Cage had tuned in to hear silence full of sound, Paxton tuned the dancer’s attention inward, to perceive bodily stillness full of internal micro-movements.
    — Sophie Landres, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Mundane.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mundane. Accessed 3 Oct. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster