adjective
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of or characteristic of the earth as opposed to heaven; material or materialistic; worldly
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informal (usually used with a negative) conceivable or possible; feasible (in such phrases as not an earthly ( chance ), etc)
Related Words
Earthly, terrestrial, worldly, mundane refer to that which is concerned with the earth literally or figuratively. Earthly now almost always implies a contrast to that which is heavenly: earthly pleasures; our earthly home. Terrestrial, from Latin, is the dignified equivalent of earthly, and it applies to the earth as a planet or to the land as opposed to the water: the terrestrial globe; terrestrial areas. Worldly is commonly used in the sense of being devoted to the vanities, cares, advantages, or gains of this present life to the exclusion of spiritual interests or the life to come: worldly success; worldly standards. Mundane, from Latin, is a formal equivalent of worldly and suggests that which is bound to the earth, is not exalted, and therefore is commonplace: mundane pursuits.
Other Word Forms
- earthliness noun
- superearthly adjective
Etymology
Origin of earthly
First recorded before 1000; Middle English erth(e)ly, Old English eorthlīc. See earth, -ly
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.
Now that I was here, I had no earthly idea what I was going to do.
From Literature
But as a feeling, it’s far more akin to gospel, like a baroque passage of biblical scripture comparing the earthly limitations of the body and the endless possibilities of the mind.
From Salon
The Spanish singer's fourth album is an exhilarating - and profoundly moving - exploration of the human condition, that asks why the earthly and the holy have to be so far apart.
From BBC
The barrenness and isolation of the landscape are reflected in Lawrence’s performance, which is why her earthly physicality is so well-matched for the film.
From Salon
Stamina is what’s required of those born into an earthly reality, for which, to quote mordant Beckett, there is no cure.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
