worldly

[wurld-lee]

adjective

worldlier, worldliest 

1. of or relating to this world as contrasted with heaven, spiritual life, etc.; earthly; mundane.

   Synonyms: temporal
   Antonyms: spiritual

2. experienced; knowing; sophisticated.

   the benefits of his worldly wisdom.

   Synonyms: cosmopolitan, urbane

3. devoted to, directed toward, or connected with the affairs, interests, or pleasures of this world.

4. of or relating to the people or laity; secular; neither ecclesiastical nor religious.

5. Obsolete.,  of, relating to, or existing on earth.

adverb

1. in a worldly manner (archaic except in combination).

   worldly-wise; worldly-minded.

worldly

/ ˈwɜːldlɪ /

adjective

1. not spiritual; mundane or temporal

2. Also: worldly-minded. absorbed in or concerned with material things or matters that are immediately relevant

3. Also: worldly-wise. versed in the ways of the world; sophisticated

4. archaic,  existing on or relating to the earth

5. obsolete,  secular; lay

adverb

1. archaic,  in a worldly manner

Other Word Forms

• worldliness noun
• preworldliness noun
• preworldly adjective
• superworldliness noun
• superworldly adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of worldly¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English wor(u)ldlīc. See world, -ly

Synonym Study

See earthly.

Example Sentences

The hotel’s lobby bar called The Gripps was made for a tough, hard-drinking, worldly crowd of voyagers, tucked into the far corner of an empire.

From Salon

But alongside its worldly successes, the show also provoked conversations about socioeconomic inequality in South Korean society, such as the prevalence of debt, which looms in the backstories of several characters.

From Los Angeles Times

It gives her music a worldly quality, reflected in multilingual tracks like “Eurotrash,” which Rivera sings in English, Spanish and French.

From Los Angeles Times

But Zephyr is as worldly as Bruce is, meaning that she’s a cunning foil to his long-running string of untraceable serial murders.

From Salon

At the same time, interest in a more vague spirituality is on the rise, fueled by "wellness" influencers framing spirituality as a shortcut to worldly gains like money, fitness, and romance.

From Salon

Related Words

• earthly 
• earthy 
• mundane 
• practical 
• secular 
• temporal