worldly
/ˈwɜː(ɹ)ldli/ adjective, adverb
Forms worldlier worldliest
- adjective Concerned with human or earthly matters, physical as opposed to spiritual.
- adjective Concerned with secular rather than sacred matters.
- adjective Sophisticated, especially because of surfeit; versed in the ways of the world.
- adverb In a worldly manner.
Synonyms
material mundane sublunar terrene lay profane temporal areligious civil earthly irreligious laicist laicistic nonreligious secular unconsecrated unsanctified sophisticated street-smart secularly blase
Antonyms
otherworldly spiritual clerical religious sacred naive unworldly
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”).
From Middle English worldly, worldliche, wordly (adverb), from Old English woroldlīċe, weoroldlīċe; equivalent to world + -ly (adverbial suffix).
Webster’s 1913
- adjective Relating to the world; human; common; as, worldly maxims; worldly actions. "I thus neglecting worldly ends." Shak.
- adjective Pertaining to this world or life, in contradistinction from the life to come; secular; temporal; devoted to this life and its enjoyments; bent on gain; as, worldly pleasures, affections, honor, lusts, men. With his soul fled all my worldly solace. Shak.
- adverb With relation to this life; in a worldly manner.
Etymology [AS. woroldlic.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “worldly”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details