mundane

1 of 2

adjective

mun·​dane ˌmən-ˈdān How to pronounce mundane (audio)
ˈmən-ˌdān
Synonyms of mundane
1
: characterized by the practical, temporary, and ordinary : commonplace
the mundane concerns of day-to-day life
… the National Gallery had paid too little heed to mundane questions of security.—Edward Dolnick
2
: of, relating to, or characteristic of life on Earth rather than spiritual things
Humans continually petition the gods for mundane services, from winning sporting events to saving their jobs to curing illness to bringing world peace …—Gregory S. Paul
mundanely adverb
mundaneness
ˌmən-ˈdān-nəs How to pronounce mundane (audio)
ˈmən-ˌdān-
noun
mundanity
ˌmən-ˈdā-nə-tē How to pronounce mundane (audio)
noun

mundanity

2 of 2

noun

mun·​dan·​i·​ty ˌmənˈdanətē How to pronounce mundanity (audio)
plural -es
1
: the quality or state of being mundane : worldliness
an ideal opposed to mundanity
2
: worldly inclinations
—often used in plural
charm and graciousness, —her appreciation of fine clothes and houses—these are all mundanities—Harper's Bazaar

Synonyms of mundane

Relevance

Adjective

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

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 mundane in a Sentence

Adjective On him, a mundane navy blazer looked like an Armani dinner jacket; around him, a dusky locker room became the chandeliered lobby of the Savoy. —Curry Kirkpatrick, ESPN, 19 Mar. 2001
How did our ancestors pass from the mundane activity of counting to the concept of 'number' in the abstract, devoid of any particular collection of objects to label? —John D. Barrow, Pi in the Sky, 1992
They decided on buttock tattoos, rather than the more mundane engagement ring, because a tattoo is permanent. You can always pawn a ring. —Mike Royko, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 1988
The day began with the mundane business of getting my white chiffon dress shortened … —Lady Bird Johnson, January 14, 1964, in A White House Diary,  1970
mundane chores, like washing dishes They lead a pretty mundane life. prayer and meditation helped her put her mundane worries aside
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
In fact, the appeal of the show is in how mundane the interviews are. — Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 29 June 2026 Mun-oh calls the details of Kang’s trauma mundane, and not interesting enough to support a good story. — Kayti Burt, Time, 26 June 2026 Now, new research may rewrite the definition of these planets that make the solar system look a little bit mundane. — Robert Lea, Space.com, 1 July 2026 But Damon admitted that the mundane parts of travel have become more difficult with the passage of time. — Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 24 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for mundane

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English mondeyne, from Anglo-French mundain, from Late Latin mundanus, from Latin mundus world

Noun

Middle French or Medieval Latin; Middle French mondanité, from Medieval Latin mundanitat-, mundanitas, from Late Latin mundanus mundane + Latin -itat-, -itas -ity

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of mundane was in the 15th century

Rhymes for mundane

See All Rhymes for mundane

Browse Nearby Words

Munda
mundane
mundane astrology
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Mundane.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mundane. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

mundane

adjective
mun·​dane ˌmən-ˈdān How to pronounce mundane (audio)
ˈmən-ˌdān
1
: of or relating to the world : worldly
2
: having to do with the practical details of everyday life
mundanely adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on mundane

Nglish: Translation of mundane 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

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

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

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

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
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
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All