mundane

American  

[muhn-deyn, muhn-deyn] / mʌnˈdeɪn, ˈmʌn deɪn /

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.

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mundane British  

/ ˈmʌndeɪn, mʌnˈdeɪn /

adjective

1. everyday, ordinary, or banal

2. relating to the world or worldly matters

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Related Words

See earthly.

Other Word Forms

• mundanely adverb
• mundaneness noun
• mundanity noun

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

Example Sentences

This will quickly feel mundane, and before long you’ll be trying to talk to all your appliances.

From The Wall Street Journal

For decades, America’s first line of defense against illicit finance has been mundane but effective regulation.

From Barron's

Others didn’t for reasons as mundane as geography, signal reach and local radio history.

From The Wall Street Journal

Athletic careers unravel, for good and mundane reasons, all the time.

From The Wall Street Journal

There is the occasional picture in a newspaper showing Kane and his family doing mundane activities, but they don't feel much, if any, intrusion into their private life.

From BBC

Related Words

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