earthly

1 of 2

adjective

earth·​ly ˈərth-lē How to pronounce earthly (audio)
Synonyms of earthlynext
1
a
: characteristic of or belonging to this earth
b
: relating to the human race's actual life on this earth
2
: possible
of what earthly use is it?
earthliness noun

earthliness

2 of 2

noun

earth·​li·​ness
-thlēnə̇s, 
-lin-
plural -es
: the quality or state of being earthly
the deep original materialism or earthliness of human nature itself—Walter Pater

Synonyms of earthly

Relevance

Adjective

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus
Choose the Right Synonym for earthly

earthly, worldly, mundane mean belonging to or characteristic of the earth.

earthly often implies a contrast with what is heavenly or spiritual.

abandoned earthly concerns and entered a convent

worldly and mundane both imply a relation to the immediate concerns and activities of human beings, worldly suggesting tangible personal gain or gratification

worldly goods

and mundane suggesting reference to the immediate and practical.

a mundane discussion of finances

Examples of earthly in a Sentence

Adjective a sermon against our obsession with earthly pursuits
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
The actual viewing success will depend more on earthly considerations, however, including cloud cover and the extent of light pollution. — Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 6 July 2026 Khamenei, who led the Islamic Republic for 37 years out of its 47-year history, is regarded by many supporters as the earthly representative of the Hidden Imam, the 12th imam who, according to Shi’ite belief, disappeared in the ninth century. — Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 3 July 2026 During the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century, both Martin Luther and John Calvin distinguished spiritual from earthly authority and called for a division of labor between the two. — Steven K. Green, The Conversation, 2 July 2026 People at the most senior levels of the government have no earthly idea what's being discussed inside the White House, inside the Oval Office and the Situation Room. — Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 23 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for earthly

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1549, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of earthly was before the 12th century

Rhymes for earthly

See All Rhymes for earthly

Browse Nearby Words

earth louse
earthly
earthly-minded
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Earthly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/earthly. Accessed 15 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

earthly

adjective
earth·​ly ˈərth-lē How to pronounce earthly (audio)
1
: belonging to or having to do with the earth
earthly joys
2
: imaginable, possible
that tool is of no earthly use
earthliness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on earthly

Nglish: Translation of earthly for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All