English Explanatory Dictionary

worldly

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. Concerned with human or earthly matters, physical as opposed to spiritual.
  2. Concerned with secular rather than sacred matters.
  3. Sophisticated, especially because of surfeit; versed in the ways of the world.
adv
  1. In a worldly manner.

Pronunciation

/ˈwɜː(ɹ)ldli/ En-us-worldly.ogg

Word forms

worldly worldlier more worldly worldliest most worldly

Etymology

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”).

Synonyms

material mundane sublunar lay profane temporal areligious civil earthly irreligious laicist laicistic nonreligious secular unconsecrated unsanctified worldly sophisticated street-smart secularly unspiritually worldlily

Antonyms

otherworldly spiritual clerical religious sacred naive

Related words

old-worldly worldward

Derived words

worldly-wise otherworldly this-worldly
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