sublunary

adjective

ˌsəb-ˈlü-nə-rē How to pronounce sublunary (audio)
Definition of sublunarynext
as in mundane
having to do with life on earth especially as opposed to that in heaven like all sublunary things, this misery will one day end

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 sublunary We are reminded of dogs as an intermediary between mankind and the rest of creation, both sublunary and celestial; dogs remind us daily of our animal selves and are audience to our higher moments. — Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 25 May 2026 Our attention plunges in while the body remains firmly rooted in the sublunary world. — Meghan O'Gieblyn, WIRED, 16 Aug. 2023 Planets and stars, eclipses and conjunctions would seem to have no direct effect on our lives, unlike the mundane and sublunary antics of our fellow humans. — Alison Gopnik, WSJ, 25 Aug. 2022 In the profoundest sense, the words and deeds of a martyr say to her society that there is a higher world, a world that works according to a logic superior to that of this sublunary sphere. — Dwight Lindley Iii, National Review, 16 May 2021 But change is the only constant in our sublunary world, as writers down the centuries have noted; Powell, too, knew this well. — Neel Mukherjee, New York Times, 7 May 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sublunary
  1. mundane
  2. temporal
  3. terrestrial
  4. physical
  5. earthly
  6. animal
Adjective
  • Be sure to crouch low and appreciate the Stormtrooper’s mundane white boots.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • The opening slate features a full 16 games with plenty of questions left unanswered after a pretty mundane preseason schedule.
    — Renee Miller, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of mundane
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
  • The eagerly anticipated new Los Angeles museum will welcome earthly visitors on September 22.
    — Michael Goldstein, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
  • 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, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of earthly
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

Browse Nearby Words

sublimity
sublunary
submachine gun
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Cite this Entry

“Sublunary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sublunary. Accessed 10 Sep. 2026.

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