Synonyms of worldly

worldly

adjective

ˈwər(-ə)ld-lē 

1

as in cosmopolitan

having a wide and refined knowledge of the world especially from personal experience

she returned from her year as an exchange student a much more worldly person

Synonyms & Similar Words

• cosmopolitan
• sophisticated
• smart
• civilized
• worldly-wise
• polished
• bored
• pragmatic
• cultured
• experienced
• cynical
• sober
• cultivated
• urbane
• seasoned
• realistic
• suave
• knowing
• skeptical
• refined
• jaded
• practiced
• schooled
• down-to-earth

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• unsophisticated
• naive
• unworldly
• innocent
• ingenuous
• guileless
• untutored
• green
• parochial
• inexperienced
• provincial
• raw
• rustic
• callow
• uncivilized
• childlike
• simple
• uncultured
• wide-eyed
• unrefined
• idealistic
• impractical
• simpleminded
• uncritical
• unknowing
• philistine

2

as in mundane

having to do with life on earth especially as opposed to that in heaven

preoccupied with worldly concerns

Synonyms & Similar Words

• mundane
• temporal
• terrestrial
• physical
• earthly
• animal
• bodily
• carnal
• earthbound
• sublunary
• corporeal
• fleshly
• daily
• material
• terrene
• corporal
• earthborn
• unspiritual
• diurnal
• anthropocentric
• anthropic

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• heavenly
• celestial
• spiritual
• unearthly
• religious
• metaphysical
• unworldly
• divine
• supernal
• sacred
• devotional
• utopian
• nontemporal
• transcendental
• transcendent
• supernatural
• empyrean
• ethereal
• empyreal
• Elysian
• otherworldly
• extraterrestrial
• unearthly

Synonym Chooser

How is the word worldly distinct from other similar adjectives?

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

When could earthly be used to replace worldly?

Although the words earthly and worldly have much in common, earthly often implies a contrast with what is heavenly or spiritual.

abandoned earthly concerns and entered a convent

In what contexts can mundane take the place of worldly?

While in some cases nearly identical to worldly, mundane suggests reference to the immediate and practical.

a mundane discussion of finances

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of worldly

As Duke, Schell provided the small-town Gomer with a somewhat more worldly city boy pal. — Greg Evans, Deadline, 12 June 2026

The sacred meets the secular in this long-running pairing of a young vicar with a worldly police detective in the titular idyllic Cambridgeshire village during the 1950s and ‘60s. — Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2026

Here, against the intimate interiority of this elegant narrative, untamed urges clash with Confucian ideals of filial piety and Buddhist undertones of the suffering caused by worldly attachments. — Literary Hub, 28 May 2026

As the feisty little brother to the more worldly Semma, Dhamaka has a reputation for viscera and high heat. — Ligaya Mishan, New York Times, 11 May 2026