worldly
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worldly¹
- /ˈwɜː(ɹ)ldli/
Rhymes with -ɜː(ɹ)ldli
Where it comes from
From Middle English worldly, worldlich, wordly (adjective), from Old English woruldlīċ, worldlīċ, weoroldlīċ (“worldly; earthly; temporal; mundane; secular”), from Proto-Germanic *weraldilīkaz, equivalent to world + -ly. Cognate with Dutch wereldlijk (“worldly; secular”), German Low German weltlik (“worldly”), German weltlich (“worldly”), Danish verdslig (“worldly”), Swedish världslig (“worldly”), Icelandic veraldlegur (“worldly; secular”).
adjective worldlier · more worldly · worldliest · most worldly
-
Concerned with human or earthly matters, physical as opposed to spiritual.
1868, Louisa May Alcott, Little Women, Part Two, Chapter Twenty-four: Gossip,
These attributes, in spite of poverty and the strict integrity which shut him out from the more worldly successes, attracted to him many admirable persons, as naturally as sweet herbs draw bees, and as naturally he gave th
Similar: material, mundane, sublunar, terrene · Opposite: otherworldly, spiritual
-
Concerned with secular rather than sacred matters.
Similar: lay, profane, temporal, areligious, civil, earthly, irreligious, laicist, laicistic, mundane, nonreligious, secular · Opposite: clerical, religious, sacred
-
Sophisticated, especially because of surfeit; versed in the ways of the world.
Homer and Marge have to try to explain things to children who are too worldly to fall for most excuses, the explanation trails off, and what could be a pleasant family outing to solve it all turns out to be yet another excuse for self-involvement when one public humiliation doesn’t outweigh the joys
Similar: sophisticated, street-smart · Opposite: naive
worldly²
- /ˈwɜː(ɹ)ldli/
Rhymes with -ɜː(ɹ)ldli
Where it comes from
From Middle English worldly, worldliche, wordly (adverb), from Old English woroldlīċe, weoroldlīċe; equivalent to world + -ly (adverbial suffix).
adverb more worldly · most worldly
-
In a worldly manner.
Similar: secularly, unspiritually, worldlily
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: mundane, material, temporal, sophisticated, materialistic, mercenary, economic, blase, profane, terrestrial, worldly-minded, goods, secular, lay, ground, land-based
Translations
Every language
adj concerned with the human, earthly or physical rather than spiritual
| Español | mundano, mundanal |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 세속적 sesokjeok |
| हिन्दी | लौकिक laukik, सांसारिक sānsārik, भौमिक bhaumik |
| Português | mundano |
| Français | mondain |
| Deutsch | weltlich |
| Ελληνικά | κοσμικός kosmikós |
| Română | lumesc |
| Русский | мирско́й mirskój, земно́й zemnój, су́етный sújetnyj |
| العربية | دُنْيَوِيّ dunyawiyy |
| עברית | גשמי gishmi |
adj concerned with the secular rather than sacred
| Español | profano, mundano |
|---|---|
| हिन्दी | लौकिक laukik |
| Deutsch | weltlich |
| Italiano | mondano |
| Ελληνικά | κοσμικός kosmikós |
| Русский | све́тский svétskij |
| العربية | دُنْيَوِيّ dunyawiyy |
| עברית | חילוני hiloni |
adj versed in the ways of the world
| Español | de mucho mundo, cosmopolita |
|---|---|
| हिन्दी | सांसारिक sānsārik |
| Deutsch | weltgewandt, weltmännisch |
| Ελληνικά | κοσμικός kosmikós |
| Русский | о́пытный ópytnyj, быва́лый byvályj |
adv In a worldly manner.
| Italiano | mondanamente |
|---|---|
| Ελληνικά | κοσμικώς kosmikós |
Talk about this word "worldly." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/worldly. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. worldly. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/worldly "worldly." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/worldly.Cite this
@misc{worldly_2026,
title = {worldly},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/worldly},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
