earthly
adjective
earth·ly ˈərth-lē 
1
a
: characteristic of or belonging to this earth
b
: relating to the human race's actual life on this earth
2
: possible
of what earthly use is it?
earthliness noun
Synonyms
- carnal
- earthborn
- earthbound
- fleshly
- material
- mundane
- sublunary
- temporal
- terrene
- terrestrial
- worldly
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
a sermon against our obsession with earthly pursuits
Recent Examples on the Web The month's shift from fiery Leo into earthly Virgo may have left things feeling a bit shaken up. 
Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 Sep. 2022 Other movie production timelines seem to exist almost apart from our earthly reality. Jake Coyle, ajc, 30 Aug. 2022 In one typically self-effacing passage, Turgenev recalled Belinsky’s passion for argument, and his own occasionally more earthly desires. Keith Gessen, The New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2022 Your brain’s reward system keeps you chasing earthly delights that will enhance your reproductive fitness in comparison with others. Arthur C. Brooks, The Atlantic, 21 July 2022 Aside from the incidental blurts of commotion that punctuate this earthly existence, life comes at you slow. Washington Post, 16 Mar. 2022 Perhaps no instance of this is more jarring though than being dwarfed by the sheer size of some of our fellow earthly creatures. Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 10 Aug. 2022 The thematic triumph of the auteur’s seventh album is this union of the extraordinary and the earthly across it, a duality that lives on the dancefloors Renaissance was inspired by—and in all of us. Mankaprr Conteh, Rolling Stone, 2 Aug. 2022 Granted, rich families are geniuses at dissipating their capital, through either a high-minded commitment to public service (the Kennedys) or a low-minded pursuit of earthly pleasures (assorted Gettys). Timothy Noah, The New Republic, 12 July 2022 See More
Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 Sep. 2022 Other movie production timelines seem to exist almost apart from our earthly reality. Jake Coyle, ajc, 30 Aug. 2022 In one typically self-effacing passage, Turgenev recalled Belinsky’s passion for argument, and his own occasionally more earthly desires. Keith Gessen, The New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2022 Your brain’s reward system keeps you chasing earthly delights that will enhance your reproductive fitness in comparison with others. Arthur C. Brooks, The Atlantic, 21 July 2022 Aside from the incidental blurts of commotion that punctuate this earthly existence, life comes at you slow. Washington Post, 16 Mar. 2022 Perhaps no instance of this is more jarring though than being dwarfed by the sheer size of some of our fellow earthly creatures. Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 10 Aug. 2022 The thematic triumph of the auteur’s seventh album is this union of the extraordinary and the earthly across it, a duality that lives on the dancefloors Renaissance was inspired by—and in all of us. Mankaprr Conteh, Rolling Stone, 2 Aug. 2022 Granted, rich families are geniuses at dissipating their capital, through either a high-minded commitment to public service (the Kennedys) or a low-minded pursuit of earthly pleasures (assorted Gettys). Timothy Noah, The New Republic, 12 July 2022 See More Word History
First Known Use
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Kids Definition
earthly
adjective
earth·ly ˈərth-lē
1
: having to do with or belonging to the earth
2
: imaginable, possible
It's of no earthly use.
earthly
adjective
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
Relevance
- temporal
- mundane
- terrestrial
- physical
- bodily
- worldly
- earthbound
- animal
- corporeal
- sublunary
- terrene
- fleshly
- carnal
- earthborn
- material
- corporal
- daily
- unspiritual
- diurnal
- anthropocentric
- anthropic
- anthropical
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- heavenly
- celestial
- unearthly
- spiritual
- unworldly
- metaphysical
- nontemporal
- divine
- supernal
- religious
- empyrean
- sacred
- empyreal
- utopian
- devotional
- extraterrestrial
- transcendental
- supernatural
- transcendent
- ethereal
- Elysian
Synonym Chooser
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
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
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