Synonym Chooser

How is the word earthly distinct from other similar adjectives?

The words mundane and worldly are common synonyms of earthly. While all three words 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

When is mundane a more appropriate choice than earthly?

In some situations, the words mundane and earthly are roughly equivalent. However, mundane suggests reference to the immediate and practical.

a mundane discussion of finances

How are the words worldly and mundane related as synonyms of earthly?

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

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of earthly Yet humans—the keystone species for fire on Earth—are merging the two arenas of earthly burning with a give and take that is reshaping the planet in what resembles a slow-motion Ragnarok. Stephen Pyne, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Jan. 2025 The monastery is especially known for its incredible wall hangings and a cache of artifacts associated with centuries of Rinchen Zangpo’s reborn earthly form. Shoshi Parks, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 Jan. 2025 Here, the gardens often appear to be sinking or submerged as rising seas threaten to turn earthly Edens into swampland. The New Yorker, 31 Jan. 2025 And when Vladimir Vladimirovich [Putin] finishes his earthly journey, there will be queues at his coffin. Barbara A. Perry, Newsweek, 28 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for earthly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for earthly
Adjective
  • From there on out, the film takes a couple of major swings in the realm of its timeline — a strange temporal unfurling — as well as the seeming motives behind A.J. and Isaac’s arrival, and Camille’s readiness to host them alongside a friend who clearly needs some alone time.
    Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 8 Mar. 2025
  • Scientists had long thought that deciphering those qualities — collectively known as prosody — happened in the superior temporal gyrus, an area of the brain associated with speech perception.
    Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 3 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • On a more mundane level, people in many places were hiding fire away in closed stoves, steam engines, and furnaces.
    Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 2 Mar. 2025
  • Here was a death that was permanent in the mundane sort of way.
    Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • What’s more, because the GEO satellite networks use completely different protocols than the service providers' terrestrial networks, any method of interoperability has to be customized per each provider and each connection point.
    Glenn Katz, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025
  • In these follow-up simulations, a small star, about three quarters the mass of the sun, is birthed out of the dense gas with planetesimals—kilometer-scale precursors to terrestrial planets—in tow.
    Conor Feehly, Scientific American, 4 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • The lack of adequate WASH facilities has also disproportionately affected women and girls by interfering with basic menstrual hygiene, harming their mental and physical health.
    Lesley Joseph, The Conversation, 27 Feb. 2025
  • Her husband is a serious alcoholic, and that takes an emotional and physical toll on a human.
    Alex Jhamb Burns, Vogue, 27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • However, they are immediately attacked by a ferocious creature that seems not fully animal, not fully human.
    EW.com, EW.com, 16 Jan. 2025
  • Animal lovers will enjoy horseback riding or visiting one of the area’s animal sanctuaries.
    Katie Seemann, Travel + Leisure, 25 Apr. 2023
Adjective
  • They are often intertwined with political, moral and spiritual ideas around the rights of an individual versus the community, the limits of government power over bodily autonomy, mistrust of medical institutions and misinformation about shot safety and efficacy.
    Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 9 Mar. 2025
  • He was sentenced to serve eight years in prison for first-degree burglary and assault likely to cause great bodily injury.
    Ishani Desai, Sacramento Bee, 8 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Earthly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/earthly. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

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