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

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 worldly For millennia, curious souls have examined a range of worldly phenomena, from the palm of the hand to moldy cheese, to prophesy supernatural knowledge about their fates. Isabela Raygoza, Billboard, 25 Aug. 2025 The aristocratic designer often drew upon his worldly childhood experiences–Pucci produced clothing, upholstery, living room accessories, purses, shoes, and clothing that reflected all this exposure, print-packed and vivacious. Essence, 14 Aug. 2025 This new reading revises not only the phrases quoted in the sermon, but also the entire Song of Wade, centering the hero amid worldly dangers rather than mythical beasts. Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 18 July 2025 Jupiter in Cancer delivers expansion and a worldly philosophical view that results in a sense of freedom. Lisa Stardust, Refinery29, 23 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for worldly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for worldly
Adjective
  • The cosmopolitan Sajet was born in Nigeria to Dutch parents, and was raised in Australia.
    Jim Higgins, jsonline.com, 3 Sep. 2025
  • As one of Europe’s most cosmopolitan cities, travelers can enjoy days in the English capital feasting on flavors of the world, followed by nights at storied hotels where royals, celebrities, and dignitaries are among the familiar faces.
    AFAR Media, AFAR Media, 2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • These accents are often what will take an outfit from mundane to a look worth mimicking.
    Samantha Solomon, Vogue, 10 Sep. 2025
  • Other more mundane explanations of disappearances include weather, such as rogue waves, human error and more.
    Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • These critical questions require a more sophisticated ethical framework.
    Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
  • The trendy animal print pattern combined with the crisscross buckle design offers a sophisticated, retro feel that’ll perk up any classic pair of jeans.
    Melody Kazel, PEOPLE, 8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Context requires holding multiple layers of reality simultaneously—the organizational politics, cultural dynamics, personal histories, and temporal factors that shape every interaction.
    Michael Hudson, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
  • This pair of daring temporal adventurers makes hops, skips, and jumps along the time stream with Sam popping up randomly into different bodies throughout history.
    Jeff Spry, Space.com, 24 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Stern, who is 71, first signed with Sirius in 2004 (prior to its merger with XM), in part to be free of oversight by the FCC, which had levied millions of dollars in fines on terrestrial radio stations that carried his show for alleged indecency.
    Todd Spangler, Variety, 4 Sep. 2025
  • The ideal case would be to find a terrestrial meteorite containing organic molecules, or conceivably micro-fossils, from a time that Earth’s own geological record has not preserved, says Crawford.
    Bruce Dorminey, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The iPhone 17 is set to be the fourth gen of Apple smartphones without a physical SIM card slot in the US.
    PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Even today, thousands of its physical records are stored in former limestone mines in Missouri and Pennsylvania.
    Eli Hager, ProPublica, 8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • As geologists were realizing that earthly timescales were vast, astronomers began to discover that the same applied to the distances of the cosmos.
    Big Think, Big Think, 9 Sep. 2025
  • It was once widely believed throughout Europe that stars produced an ethereal fluid that somehow influenced earthly affairs.
    Martha Barnette August 6, Literary Hub, 6 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Worldly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/worldly. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.

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