WORLDLY Synonyms: 96 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'worldly' distinct from other similar adjectives?

The words earthly and mundane are common synonyms of worldly . While all three words mean "belonging to or characteristic of the earth," 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

Q: When could 'earthly' be used to replace 'worldly'?

Although the words earthly and worldly have much in common, earthly often implies a contrast with what is heavenly or spiritual. // abandoned earthly concerns and entered a convent

Q: In what contexts can 'mundane' take the place of 'worldly'?

While in some cases nearly identical to worldly , mundane suggests reference to the immediate and practical. // a mundane discussion of finances

worldly

adjective

ˈwər(-ə)ld-lē

Definition of worldly

as in cosmopolitan

having a wide and refined knowledge of the world especially from personal experience she returned from her year as an exchange student a much more worldly person

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in mundane

having to do with life on earth especially as opposed to that in heaven preoccupied with worldly concerns

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word worldly distinct from other similar adjectives?

The words earthly and mundane are common synonyms of worldly. While all three words mean "belonging to or characteristic of the earth," 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

When could earthly be used to replace worldly?

Although the words earthly and worldly have much in common, earthly often implies a contrast with what is heavenly or spiritual.

abandoned earthly concerns and entered a convent

In what contexts can mundane take the place of worldly?

While in some cases nearly identical to worldly, mundane suggests reference to the immediate and practical.

a mundane discussion of finances

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 worldly Ḥusayn’s death became for the Shiʿah a symbol of selfless resistance against worldly injustice and tyranny and is commemorated with lamentation each year on Ashura. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 July 2026 Geneva, Lausanne and Montreux bring a worldly polish to the lakefront, layering diplomacy, design and old European glamour onto the scenery. — Spencer Elliott, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026 Rohmer’s great literary achievement is twofold—artistic success and worldly failure—which gave rise to his cinema of substitute gratifications, second chances, and miraculous redemptions. — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 9 July 2026 Cricket, a reserved but gifted artist, and Olympia, a slightly older, worldly art connoisseur. — Air Mail, 27 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for worldly

Recent Examples of Synonyms for worldly

Adjective

But, outside of cosmopolitan sections of Tel Aviv, Herzliya, and Haifa, the liberalism that fuelled his humor couldn’t be taken for granted.

— Bernard Avishai, New Yorker, 11 Aug. 2026
Hollywood Beach Resort, the century-old grande dame with a storied history, is now a vacant relic that appears to be heading toward a more cosmopolitan fate.

— Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of cosmopolitan

Adjective

All of them are concerned with legacy, particularly among fathers and daughters (Shakespeare had two and lost his only son), and all of them touch a realm beyond the mundane — a place of gods and dreams, oracles and enchantment.

— Sara Holdren, Vulture, 12 Aug. 2026
Concepts like a recurring conversation with a sibling, a habit picked up during a mundane after-school job, or a small mistake that took months to fully understand can be inroads to genuine self-reflection and creative expression.

— Christopher Rim, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of mundane

Adjective

The company is also profitable, a financial positioning that gives the founder the freedom to invest in higher quality materials, moving Sézane slightly upmarket, while shifting the editorial styling to feel more sophisticated.

— Hilary Milnes, Vogue, 10 Aug. 2026
But for most Americans, direct access has remained limited by high investment minimums, limited access to private transactions and a market that has historically favored large, sophisticated investors.

— Artem Milinchuk, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of sophisticated

Adjective

In rocks from the interior of Rio Grande do Sul, 240-million-year-old fossils still hold clues about the origin of the animal groups that would transform terrestrial ecosystems forever.

— The Conversation, Fortune, 10 Aug. 2026
And South Sudan's first World Heritage site, the Boma–Badingilo Migratory Landscape, protects a vast sweep of savanna, wetlands, and floodplains crossed by one of the world's largest terrestrial mammal migrations.

— Bailey Berg, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of terrestrial

Adjective

But the curve seems to settle at around 33, where even the most experienced of centre-backs lose appeal due to a drop-off in their physical capabilities and pace.

— Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026
Businesses and nonprofits may borrow up to $2 million to cover physical damages and may also qualify for loans to help cover financial losses resulting from the bad weather.

— Mike Danahey, Chicago Tribune, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of physical

Adjective

Instead, Farage's main opponent is Count Binface, a political satirist posing as a comic space alien, with a keen interest in earthly matters, including the positioning of a hand dryer in the men's toilet in a pub in west London.

— ABC News, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026
On a molecular level, earthly life takes this to the extreme.

— Berly McCoy, NPR, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of earthly

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“Worldly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/worldly. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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