earthly

[ urth-lee ]

adjective

, earth·li·er, earth·li·est.

1. of or relating to the earth, especially as opposed to heaven; worldly.

   Synonyms: mortal, temporal, secular

   Antonyms: divine, spiritual

2. possible or conceivable:

   an invention of no earthly use to anyone.

earthly

/ ˈɜːθlɪ /

adjective

1. of or characteristic of the earth as opposed to heaven; material or materialistic; worldly
2. informal.
   usually used with a negative conceivable or possible; feasible (in such phrases as not an earthly ( chance ), etc)

Derived Forms

• ˈearthliness, noun

Other Words From

• earthli·ness noun
• super·earthly adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of earthly¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English erth(e)ly, Old English eorthlīc. See earth, -ly

Synonym Study

Earthly, terrestrial, worldly, mundane refer to that which is concerned with the earth literally or figuratively. Earthly now almost always implies a contrast to that which is heavenly: earthly pleasures; our earthly home. Terrestrial, from Latin, is the dignified equivalent of earthly, and it applies to the earth as a planet or to the land as opposed to the water: the terrestrial globe; terrestrial areas. Worldly is commonly used in the sense of being devoted to the vanities, cares, advantages, or gains of this present life to the exclusion of spiritual interests or the life to come: worldly success; worldly standards. Mundane, from Latin, is a formal equivalent of worldly and suggests that which is bound to the earth, is not exalted, and therefore is commonplace: mundane pursuits.

Example Sentences

The danger of “Heretic” is nothing extraterrestrial, but rather the most common and mundane of earthly predators: a man.

From Los Angeles Times

A thundering media sensation in the city of Carson extolled the promises and perils of earthly departure.

From Los Angeles Times

He makes Seth’s geeky kindness seem like one of the true earthly wonders.

From Los Angeles Times

Passages that inspired Christians to open settlement houses to shelter poor city dwellers and join union picket lines to fight against decrepit working conditions also formed the core of Martin Luther King Jr.'s argument that pastors cannot preach the glories of heaven while ignoring the earthly hell of racialized oppression.

From Salon

Kolkata is celebrating its biggest annual festival - Durga Puja, when the ten-armed Goddess Durga is said to visit her earthly home, her entire family in tow.

From BBC

Related Words

• carnal
• mundane
• physical
• temporal
• terrestrial
• worldly