earthly

adjective

earth·​ly ˈərth-lē 

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

Synonyms

• carnal
• earthborn
• earthbound
• fleshly
• material
• mundane
• sublunary
• temporal
• terrene
• terrestrial
• worldly

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

a sermon against our obsession with earthly pursuits

Recent Examples on the Web

Throughout the show, bodily and earthly concerns are intertwined; so too are currents of feminism, ecology, and anticolonialism. —Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 28 Nov. 2024

Rulers have promised heavenly rewards to quiet demand for earthly justice. —Moriah Ratner, New York Times, 24 Nov. 2024

Rather than evoke the quirks of vineyard life, A Good Year sets up a crude choice between his cold life back in London or an earthly paradise full of wine and beautiful women. —Scott Tobias, Vulture, 20 Nov. 2024

In fact, eternal life didn’t tempt her any more than earthly pleasures did. —Judith Thurman, The New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

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

Kids Definition

earthly

adjective

earth·​ly ˈərth-lē 

1

: belonging to or having to do with the earth

earthly joys

2

: imaginable, possible

that tool is of no earthly use

earthliness noun