mundane

[ muhn-deyn, muhn-deyn ]

adjective

1. common; ordinary; banal; unimaginative.
2. of or relating to this world or earth as contrasted with heaven; worldly; earthly:

   mundane affairs.

   Synonyms: temporal, secular

3. of or relating to the world, universe, or earth.

mundane

/ ˈmʌndeɪn; mʌnˈdeɪn /

adjective

1. everyday, ordinary, or banal
2. relating to the world or worldly matters

Derived Forms

• munˈdanity, noun
• ˈmundanely, adverb

Other Words From

• mun·danely adverb
• mun·daneness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of mundane¹

First recorded in 1425–75; from Latin mundānus, equivalent to mund(us) “world” + -ānus -ane; replacing late Middle English mondeyne, from Middle French mondain, from Latin, as above

Word History and Origins

Origin of mundane¹

C15: from French mondain, via Late Latin, from Latin mundus world

Synonym Study

See earthly.

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

With distrust running high, even mundane tasks get more complicated.

From Los Angeles Times

It has been programmed to carry out this mundane task no fewer than 28,000 times, day and night, for more than a week.

From BBC

At kick-off, sometimes the debates continues, but the in-game chatter can be fairly mundane.

From BBC

These mundane tasks and long hours of repetitive training culminate in competitive outbursts where careers are made and broken.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• banal
• day-to-day
• everyday
• humdrum
• normal
• prosaic
• workaday