mundane
- common; ordinary; banal; unimaginative.
- of or relating to this world or earth as contrasted with heaven; worldly; earthly: mundane affairs.
- of or relating to the world, universe, or earth.
Origin of mundane
Synonyms
See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.comRelated Words
prosaic, normal, humdrum, banal, everyday, workaday, day-to-day, commonplace, earthly, lowly, routine, worldly, workdayExamples from the Web for mundane
Contemporary Examples
Even the most mundane experiences seem extraordinary when lovingly rendered by Kalman.
The acts ranged from the mundane to the unexpected: Assisted a tourist with directions because he looked lost.
Quality can be found in the most mundane works of man—even within the rusting gears of a motorcycle engine.
Zen, Motorcycles, And The Cult of Tech: How Robert Pirsig’s Classic Anticipated the FutureNathaniel Rich
August 31, 2014
Behind the mundane complaining for its own sake, though, a new problem affecting allergies may be brewing: global warming.
For some reason, the most mundane sex had also been the least explored by writers.
Historical Examples
Let our men of mundane warfare do their best—it will be useless.
Mundane's name was in big letters, and you could just see mine with the naked eye.
Changing WindsSt. John G. Ervine
Then, and not before, she may address herself to mundane things.
Ireland as It IsRobert John Buckley (AKA R.J.B.)
The boy looked up with his first gleam of interest in mundane things.
David DunneBelle Kanaris Maniates
All mundane phenomena were inexplicably contorted that night.
A Great ManArnold Bennett
mundane
- everyday, ordinary, or banal
- relating to the world or worldly matters
Word Origin
Word Origin and History for mundane
adj.
mid-15c., "of this world," from Old French mondain "of this world, worldly, earthly, secular;" also "pure, clean; noble, generous" (12c.), from Late Latin mundanus "belonging to the world" (as distinct from the Church), in classical Latin "a citizen of the world, cosmopolite," from mundus "universe, world," literally "clean, elegant"; used as a translation of Greek khosmos (see cosmos) in its Pythagorean sense of "the physical universe" (the original sense of the Greek word was "orderly arrangement"). Latin mundus also was used of a woman's "ornaments, dress," and is related to the adjective mundus "clean, elegant" (used of women's dress, etc.). Related: Mundanely.