mundane

[muhn-deyn, muhn-deyn]

adjective

1. common; ordinary; banal; unimaginative.

2. of or relating to this world or earth as contrasted with heaven; worldly; earthly.

   mundane affairs.

   Synonyms: temporal, secular

3. of or relating to the world, universe, or earth.

mundane

/ ˈmʌndeɪn, mʌnˈdeɪn /

adjective

1. everyday, ordinary, or banal

2. relating to the world or worldly matters

Other Word Forms

• mundanely adverb
• mundaneness noun
• mundanity noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of mundane¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of mundane¹

C15: from French mondain, via Late Latin, from Latin mundus world

Synonym Study

See earthly.

Example Sentences

“No matter how mundane some action might appear,” he writes, “keep at it long enough and it becomes a contemplative, even meditative act.”

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Those two strangers are the only characters we see, and the mundane action described in the title is also at the core of the narrative.

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The seemingly mundane task of taking photos of vehicles for sale is actually a carefully calibrated, standardized and coordinated operation aiming to make the consumer comfortable and the experience frictionless, she said.

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Visiting journalists are instructed not to answer any questions from inmates seeking even mundane information.

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Each tale focuses on a different kitchen object—sometimes luxurious, more often mundane, almost always unlikely.

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Related Words

• banal 
• day-to-day 
• everyday 
• humdrum 
• normal 
• prosaic 
• workaday