terrestrial

American  

[tuh-res-tree-uhl] / təˈrɛs tri əl /

adjective

1. pertaining to, consisting of, or representing the earth as distinct from other planets.

   Synonyms:

   terrene

   Antonyms:

   celestial

2. of or relating to land as distinct from water.

3. Botany.

   1. growing on land; not aquatic.

   2. growing in the ground; not epiphytic or aerial.

4. Zoology. living on or in the ground; not aquatic, arboreal, or aerial.

5. of or relating to the earth or this world; worldly; mundane.

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noun

1. an inhabitant of the earth, especially a human being.

terrestrial British  

/ təˈrɛstrɪəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to the earth

2. of or belonging to the land as opposed to the sea or air

3. (of animals and plants) living or growing on the land

4. earthly, worldly, or mundane

5. (of television signals) sent over the earth's surface from a transmitter on land, rather than by satellite

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noun

1. an inhabitant of the earth

terrestrial Scientific  

/ tə-rĕs′trē-əl /

1. Relating to Earth or its inhabitants.

2. Relating to, living on, or growing on land.

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Synonym Usage

See earthly.

Other Word Forms

• terrestrialness
  noun
• nonterrestrial
  adjective
• preterrestrial
  adjective
• superterrestrial
  adjective
• underterrestrial
  adjective
• unterrestrial
  adjective
• terrestrially
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of terrestrial

First recorded in 1450–1550; late Middle English from Latin terrestri(s) “pertaining to earth” (derivative of terra “earth”) + -al ¹

Explanation

Not straying far from its Latin root terra, meaning "earth," terrestrial means "of the earth." If it's terrestrial, you'll find it on earth. If it's extraterrestrial, you'll find it emerging from a UFO. The adjective terrestrial can also be used to describe something that lives on land (as opposed to living in water, for example). "On their trip to the rain forest, the scientists were charged with cataloging terrestrial animals. Another group was going to be in charge of cataloging the aquatic animals." The adjective can also be used to describe something that is mundane in character. The teenager cried, "My life is boring and full of terrestrial events like going to band practice and to class!"

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

terrestrial

Google projects that it will one day be possible to build a space-based data center as cheaply as a terrestrial data center, Beals said, though it may take years to get there.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026

The defence source described the UK's terrestrial electronic warfare capability as "world leading, and more".

From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026

Even so, parts of northern Sputnik Planitia have been darkened in patterns that resemble features seen on terrestrial glaciers after they are exposed to rainwater or to liquid emerging from beneath the ice.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 17, 2026

There is more room in low-Earth orbit for satellites than there is terrestrial airspace available for planes, but adversarial actions or poor coordination could pose a threat, according to Dyer.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026

With the Earth the center of the Universe, with creation pivoted about terrestrial events, with the heavens imagined constructed on utterly unearthly principles, there was little motivation for astronomical observations.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan