noun
Etymology
Origin of earthling
Explanation
An earthling is someone who lives on the planet Earth. In science fiction books and movies, people are called earthlings to distinguish them from aliens. E.T. was definitely not an earthling. You're most likely to come across the word earthling in fiction, since we more often refer to ourselves as "people" or "humans," assuming that we are all from Earth. In science fiction, though, some characters come from other planets or galaxies and aren't actually earthlings. Earthling has an Old English root, yrþling, or "plowman," and in 1949 the author Robert Heinlein first used earthling in a science fiction context.
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.
In return, the boy wants little to do with her or any other earthling.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2025
But with little conclusive evidence expected to confirm any intergalactic visitations, it remains to be seen whether any earthling minds will change.
From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2021
So if we're identifying as an earthling, they might call it something else.
From Salon ● Nov. 19, 2020
Could any earthling truly understand life on Mars and pass judgment on someone living there?
From Slate ● Jul. 15, 2020
"I said identify yourself, earthling, or suffer the consequences."
From "Freak The Mighty" by Rodman Philbrick
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.
