terrestrial

American  

[tuh-res-tree-uhl] / təˈrɛs tri əl /

adjective

1. pertaining to, consisting of, or representing the earth as distinct from other planets.

   Synonyms:

   terrene

   Antonyms:

   celestial

2. of or relating to land as distinct from water.

3. Botany.

   1. growing on land; not aquatic.

   2. growing in the ground; not epiphytic or aerial.

4. Zoology. living on or in the ground; not aquatic, arboreal, or aerial.

5. of or relating to the earth or this world; worldly; mundane.

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noun

1. an inhabitant of the earth, especially a human being.

terrestrial British  

/ təˈrɛstrɪəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to the earth

2. of or belonging to the land as opposed to the sea or air

3. (of animals and plants) living or growing on the land

4. earthly, worldly, or mundane

5. (of television signals) sent over the earth's surface from a transmitter on land, rather than by satellite

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noun

1. an inhabitant of the earth

terrestrial Scientific  

/ tə-rĕs′trē-əl /

1. Relating to Earth or its inhabitants.

2. Relating to, living on, or growing on land.

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Synonym Usage

See earthly.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonterrestrial
  adjective
• terrestrialness
  noun
• terrestrially
  adverb
• underterrestrial
  adjective
• unterrestrial
  adjective
• preterrestrial
  adjective
• superterrestrial
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of terrestrial

First recorded in 1450–1550; late Middle English from Latin terrestri(s) “pertaining to earth” (derivative of terra “earth”) + -al ¹

Explanation

Not straying far from its Latin root terra, meaning "earth," terrestrial means "of the earth." If it's terrestrial, you'll find it on earth. If it's extraterrestrial, you'll find it emerging from a UFO. The adjective terrestrial can also be used to describe something that lives on land (as opposed to living in water, for example). "On their trip to the rain forest, the scientists were charged with cataloging terrestrial animals. Another group was going to be in charge of cataloging the aquatic animals." The adjective can also be used to describe something that is mundane in character. The teenager cried, "My life is boring and full of terrestrial events like going to band practice and to class!"

Example Sentences

Scandalous as that sounds, there’s actually something less supernatural and more terrestrial playing out here: a power struggle between the Catholic Church and influencer priests who’ve successfully harnessed the internet’s algorithms.

From Slate • Jun. 8, 2026

“There’s no effective way for them to compete with a terrestrial network,” he said.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 3, 2026

"Until now, a lot of natterjack toad restoration efforts have focused on improving terrestrial habitat, like clearing scrub or controlling vegetation," she said.

From BBC • May 31, 2026

"This suggests Kank may have been an active fisher, contrasting with common portrayal of raptors as agile terrestrial predators, like Velociraptor from the Northern Hemisphere."

From Science Daily • May 29, 2026

On his way to school, Russ shows up at my front door, once again looking very terrestrial.

From "Boy21" by Matthew Quick