Definition of mundanenext
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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 Details like eyelash fringing, subtle embroidery, and embossed velvet designs are an easy way to dress up a mundane sectional or lackluster white couch. Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 20 Jan. 2026 The combination helps renew the body, while the calming scent (a blend of essential oils, like lavender, eucalyptus, and clary sage) tends to the mind, elevating the mundane bathing experience into a spa-like treatment. Deanna Pai, Vogue, 19 Jan. 2026 Add into the mix consistent hand-washing, doing the dishes with harsh soaps, and something as mundane as getting gel nail polish cured with a UV light? Reece Andavolgyi, InStyle, 18 Jan. 2026 If a president can take any action so long as it can be tethered, even tenuously, to national security—including imposing trade restrictions on mundane things like beer cans and furniture—what meaningful limits remain on his power? Inu Manak, Time, 16 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for mundane
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mundane
Adjective
  • From home entertaining to everyday snacking, savory flavors are officially having a moment in 2026.
    Cori Sears, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Feb. 2026
  • As the search continues, investigators are piecing together not only physical evidence and witness tips, but also the digital trail left behind by everyday technology.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • In this example the information is temporal, slight, and of little broad use.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 23 Jan. 2026
  • It’s shaped around facial proportions, temporal corners, and the way hair naturally grows.
    Wyles Daniel, USA Today, 20 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • Musk justified the deal by saying that AI technologies are currently based on terrestrial data centers but that rising demand for electricity cannot only be met on the earth.
    John Kell, Fortune, 4 Feb. 2026
  • HavocAI’s autonomy stack works equally well on aerial (drones, quadcopters, missiles) and terrestrial (trucks, ATVs and rovers) autonomy assets, as evidenced by the demonstrations in Troia, Portugal (discussed above) and Geoje (discussed below).
    Sabbir Rangwala, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • Possession of a Starlink terminal now carries the threat of a prison sentence, and there have been reports of a physical crackdown on homes and rooftops where satellite receivers have been spotted.
    Lauren Kent, CNN Money, 30 Jan. 2026
  • Anything that would jeopardize an active federal investigation, and finally, anything that depicts or contain images of death, physical abuse or injury also not produced.
    Rachel Wolf, FOXNews.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • Not quite plant, not quite animal; delicious and wild and rare.
    Callie Sumlin, Bon Appetit Magazine, 15 Oct. 2025
  • Perhaps unsurprisingly, dogs were more likely to respond to animal stimuli than to non-animal stimuli.
    Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 July 2025
Adjective
  • Cognition and sensorimotor functions emerged from the evolutionary pressures of an unpredictable earthly environment.
    Rachel Barr, Big Think, 29 Jan. 2026
  • For reasons still not wholly understood, these ultradense objects—each about the mass of our star squeezed into a bizarre, city-sized ball of degenerate quantum matter—undergo starquakes in which the material on the surface shifts a bit like in an earthly tremor.
    Phil Plait, Scientific American, 22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • Cohen-Solal’s Picasso was a worldly figure navigating a world of oftentimes cruel nationalism.
    Gabrielle Bellot, Literary Hub, 2 Feb. 2026
  • On a more worldly front, your pursuit of success should continue to succeed.
    Magi Helena, Dallas Morning News, 31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • In November 2025, a jury found Taylor and Brothwell guilty of two felony counts of first-degree murder with special circumstances and two felony counts of child abuse under circumstances or conditions likely to cause great bodily injury or death.
    Chelsea Hylton, CBS News, 2 Feb. 2026
  • Salazarmontano also admitted sentencing enhancements for fleeing the scene of a vehicular manslaughter and inflicting great bodily injury on the victim.
    City News Service, Oc Register, 1 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Mundane.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mundane. Accessed 7 Feb. 2026.

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