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

The Murphys went to the South of France off-season, both a terribly ingenuous choice and a shrewdly worldly one that everyone copied. — Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026

Pre-eminently rational and practical…his worldly wisdom effectively disguise[s] a shy and splendid idealism which is the very essence of the man. — Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2026

Thai Buddhist temples often have icons of Hindu gods, such as Ganesha and Brahma, who are believed to grant these worldly wishes. — Brooke Schedneck, The Conversation, 24 Aug. 2026

Rachel Cusk’s new novel, Life of M, is the story of an incredible woman — an actress, both beautiful and smart, who is worldly and curious and bafflingly friends with the narrator, despite all of those things. — Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 19 Aug. 2026