What does "worldly" mean?
Concerned with human or earthly matters, physical as opposed to spiritual.
Worldly
/ˈwɜː(ɹ)ldli/ adj, adv
adj, adv ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Concerned with human or earthly matters, physical as opposed to spiritual.
- Grammar: worldly is listed as adj, adv.
- Nearest alternatives: secular, academic worldliness, acquisitive, banausic.
- Useful contrasts: holy, ascetic, blissful.
- Usage evidence: There are five ways to emancipate themselves from the bond of worldly passions.
How to use "worldly"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "worldly" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "worldly" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "worldly" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "worldly" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "worldly" is acting as adj, adv in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "secular" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "worldly", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Adjective
- 1 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 them the honey into which fifty years of hard experience had distilled no bitter drop."
- 2 Concerned with secular rather than sacred matters.
- 3 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 of getting busy in a windmill."
Adjective
- 1 very sophisticated especially because of surfeit; versed in the ways of the world wordnet
- 2 characteristic of or devoted to the temporal world as opposed to the spiritual world wordnet
Adverb
- 1 In a worldly manner.
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"There are five ways to emancipate themselves from the bond of worldly passions."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "worldly"?
Common synonyms include: secular, academic worldliness, acquisitive, banausic, blase, blase.
How do you use "worldly" in a sentence?
There are five ways to emancipate themselves from the bond of worldly passions.
How do you pronounce "worldly"?
Pronounced /ˈwɜː(ɹ)ldli/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
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”).
Etymology 2
From Middle English worldly, worldliche, wordly (adverb), from Old English woroldlīċe, weoroldlīċe; equivalent to world + -ly (adverbial suffix).