worldly

[wurld-lee]

adjective

worldlier, worldliest 

1. of or relating to this world as contrasted with heaven, spiritual life, etc.; earthly; mundane.

   Synonyms: temporal
   Antonyms: spiritual

2. experienced; knowing; sophisticated.

   the benefits of his worldly wisdom.

   Synonyms: cosmopolitan, urbane

3. devoted to, directed toward, or connected with the affairs, interests, or pleasures of this world.

4. of or relating to the people or laity; secular; neither ecclesiastical nor religious.

5. Obsolete.,  of, relating to, or existing on earth.

adverb

1. in a worldly manner (archaic except in combination).

   worldly-wise; worldly-minded.

worldly

/ ˈwɜːldlɪ /

adjective

1. not spiritual; mundane or temporal

2. Also: worldly-minded. absorbed in or concerned with material things or matters that are immediately relevant

3. Also: worldly-wise. versed in the ways of the world; sophisticated

4. archaic,  existing on or relating to the earth

5. obsolete,  secular; lay

adverb

1. archaic,  in a worldly manner

Other Word Forms

• worldliness noun
• preworldliness noun
• preworldly adjective
• superworldliness noun
• superworldly adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of worldly¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English wor(u)ldlīc. See world, -ly

Synonym Study

See earthly.

Example Sentences

At the same time, interest in a more vague spirituality is on the rise, fueled by “wellness” influencers framing spirituality as a shortcut to worldly gains like money, fitness, and romance.

Read more on Salon

By the late-19th century, “Grub Street” had become a generic term for ambitious, worldly—and mostly talentless—writers, everything the classicist Gissing abhorred.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

We amplify 21st century worldly and spiritual conflict, not going gentle into that, or any, good night.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

More than anything else, it offers further evidence that Musk is a lot dumber than he ought to be, given his immense worldly success.

Read more on Salon

“The babies’ breathing,” he writes, “was impetuous, nervous, uneven, but the mothers’ slow worldly sighs, forceful and vaguely wise, got to me, straight to the heart.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• earthly 
• earthy 
• mundane 
• practical 
• secular 
• temporal