terrestrial

[ tuh-res-tree-uhl ]

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.

noun

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

terrestrial

/ 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

noun

1. an inhabitant of the earth

terrestrial

/ tə-rĕs′trē-əl /

1. Relating to Earth or its inhabitants.
2. Relating to, living on, or growing on land.

Derived Forms

• terˈrestrialness, noun
• terˈrestrially, adverb

Other Words From

• ter·restri·al·ly adverb
• nonter·restri·al adjective noun
• preter·restri·al adjective
• super·ter·restri·al adjective
• under·ter·restri·al adjective
• unter·restri·al adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of terrestrial¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of terrestrial¹

C15: from Latin terrestris, from terra earth

Synonym Study

See earthly.

Example Sentences

On Earth, all of those ingredients exist at terrestrial hot springs, home to some hardy creatures.

From Science News

Deamer, a big proponent of hot springs as the source of life’s start, has shown that conditions at terrestrial hot springs can produce bubblelike vesicles, with an outer layer made up of lipids.

From Science News

Microsoft claims its server-holding cylinders will take less than 90 days to go from factory ship to operation, as compared to the average two years it takes to get a terrestrial data center up and running.

From Singularity Hub 

Second, 40 percent of plastic waste is mismanaged — “5% ends up in ocean leakage, 22% in open burning, and 14% in terrestrial leakage,” the report says.

From Vox

The theory, which appeared in May in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, doesn’t explain every step of how life acquired its current handedness, but it does assert that the shape of terrestrial DNA and RNA is no accident.

From Quanta Magazine

This is especially true of the ocean, where impacts are less obvious than for terrestrial systems.

From The Daily Beast

As the critic Dave Hickey famously said, let art be “frivolous” enough to move us at a terrestrial level.

From The Daily Beast

The license from 2005 for LightSquared was explicitly for phones that used both satellite and terrestrial networks.

From The Daily Beast

In 2011 the FCC granted LightSquared a waiver to allow vendors using its proposed network to sell terrestrial-only cellphones.

From The Daily Beast

“In January the commission said LightSquared could use its license for exclusive terrestrial purposes,” he said.

From The Daily Beast

The epoch of your life upon the earth, even the duration of terrestrial humanity, is but a moment in eternity.

From Project Gutenberg

"Now let us return to the Earth," she said, pointing to the spot where our terrestrial Sun had disappeared.

From Project Gutenberg

It is hardly more than a hundred thousand years since terrestrial humanity evolved itself from the animal chrysalis.

From Project Gutenberg

The Uranian soul, even during its terrestrial incarnations, lives in the world of the absolute and divine.

From Project Gutenberg

The elements of my Martial form do not exist in the terrestrial atmosphere, and your brain could not imagine them.

From Project Gutenberg