unworldly

[uhn-wurld-lee]

See more synonyms for unworldly on Thesaurus.com

adjective

not worldly; not seeking material advantage; spiritually minded.
naive; unsophisticated; provincial.
not terrestrial; unearthly.

Origin of unworldly

First recorded in 1700–10; un-¹ + worldly

Related formsun·world·li·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for unworldly

Contemporary Examples

Only the unworldly could still think this was, at its worst, only an unseemly platonic relationship rather than a serious bonding.
Queen Victoria’s Secret Scottish Sex Castle
Clive Irving
August 17, 2014
When she arrived at the academy, Fernandez was 17 and, Sousa told me, a shy, unworldly country girl.
Hugo and the Hottie
Bryan Curtis
October 8, 2009

Historical Examples

Mother, you are too charitable for this earth—too unworldly altogether.
The Rise of Roscoe Paine
Joseph C. Lincoln
It looked unreal, a painting of unworldly quiet and desolation.
The Hills of Home
Alfred Coppel
Those people had been right who had called Sir Denis unworldly.
Mary Gray
Katharine Tynan
He evidently thought of me as of one unworldly and unpractical.
How It All Came Round
L. T. Meade
She was wholly absorbed in her study of this unworldly and untaught nature.
Esmeralda
Frances Hodgson Burnett

British Dictionary definitions for unworldly

unworldly

adjective

not concerned with material values or pursuits
lacking sophistication; naive
not of this earth or world

Derived Formsunworldliness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for unworldly

adj.

1707, from un- (1) "not" + worldly.

unworldly

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}unworldly

Examples from the Web for unworldly

Contemporary Examples

Only the unworldly could still think this was, at its worst, only an unseemly platonic relationship rather than a serious bonding.

When she arrived at the academy, Fernandez was 17 and, Sousa told me, a shy, unworldly country girl.

Historical Examples

Mother, you are too charitable for this earth—too unworldly altogether.

It looked unreal, a painting of unworldly quiet and desolation.

Those people had been right who had called Sir Denis unworldly.

He evidently thought of me as of one unworldly and unpractical.

She was wholly absorbed in her study of this unworldly and untaught nature.

unworldly

Word Origin and History for unworldly

adj.

Origin of unworldly