adjective
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everyday, ordinary, or banal
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relating to the world or worldly matters
Related Words
See earthly.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of mundane
First recorded in 1425–75; from Latin mundānus, equivalent to mund(us) “world” + -ānus -ane; replacing late Middle English mondeyne, from Middle French mondain, from Latin, as above
Explanation
An ordinary, unexciting thing can be called mundane: "Superman hid his heroic feats by posing as his mundane alter ego, Clark Kent." Mundane, from the Latin word mundus, "world," originally referred to things on earth. Such things were supposed to be uninteresting when compared to the delights of Heaven; hence the word's present meaning. Writing about reality TV shows, a Newsweek writer opined, "In reality bizarro-world, the mundane is presented as the spectacular" — in other words, people's everyday routines are now televised as entertainment.
Vocabulary lists containing mundane
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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100 Top "SAT" Words
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Mundane and time-consuming tasks could be handled by AI, allowing humans to focus on higher-level work and reach their goals faster.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 13, 2025
Mundane though this advice may sound, she demonstrates that with age, routine is key.
From Washington Post • Dec. 22, 2022
Mundane moments such as the croissants on the daily breakfast trolley, washing clothes in the bath, playing card games and exploring the local restaurants through a food delivery app were captured and shared online.
From BBC • Dec. 21, 2021
The piece I enjoyed the most — maybe because it was made-to-measure and I am a narcissist; maybe because it was executed so generously — was my Mundane Mystery.
From New York Times • Apr. 16, 2020
Gilbert, working less steadily than Henry, finished a new comedy and sent it to Sir Goeffrey Mundane, the manager of the Pall Mall Theatre, who utterly astounded Gilbert by accepting it.
From Changing Winds A Novel by Ervine, St. John G. (St. John Greer)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
