EARTHLY Synonyms: 43 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'earthly' distinct from other similar adjectives?

The words mundane and worldly are common synonyms of earthly . While all three words 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

Q: When is 'mundane' a more appropriate choice than 'earthly'?

In some situations, the words mundane and earthly are roughly equivalent. However, mundane suggests reference to the immediate and practical. // a mundane discussion of finances

Q: How are the words 'worldly' and 'mundane' related as synonyms of 'earthly'?

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

earthly

adjective

ˈərth-lē

Definition of earthly next

as in temporal

having to do with life on earth especially as opposed to that in heaven a sermon against our obsession with earthly pursuits

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word earthly distinct from other similar adjectives?

The words mundane and worldly are common synonyms of earthly. While all three words 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

When is mundane a more appropriate choice than earthly?

In some situations, the words mundane and earthly are roughly equivalent. However, mundane suggests reference to the immediate and practical.

a mundane discussion of finances

How are the words worldly and mundane related as synonyms of earthly?

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

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of earthly Filmed somewhere in a desert landscape, the video finds Musgraves communing with nature and all its earthly creations. —

Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 4 Dec. 2024 Darkest hour, wake thy power, earthly and divine, Burn and brew with coven true, and glory shall be thine. —

Caroline Framke, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2024 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 See all Example Sentences for earthly

Recent Examples of Synonyms for earthly

Adjective

And though Chen maneuvers every temporal and geographical shift, efforts to convey the political context of each new era can outweigh character development, undercutting the emotional breadth this story carries.

— Kayla Maiuri, New York Times, 3 Jan. 2025
For leaders, introducing intentional financial, temporal, or otherwise constraints can reignite creativity and urgency within stagnant teams.

— Julian Hayes II, Forbes, 28 Dec. 2024