Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- adjective Of, relating to, or devoted to the material world, especially in contrast to spiritual concerns.
- adjective Experienced in human affairs; sophisticated or worldly-wise.
- adverb In a worldly manner.
from The Century Dictionary.
- In a worldly manner; with relation to this life.
- Of or pertaining to the world or the present state of existence; temporal; earthly.
- Secular: opposed to monastic.
- Devoted to, interested in, or connected with this present life, and its cares, advantages, or pleasures, to the exclusion of those of a future life; desirous of temporal benefit or enjoyment merely; earthly, as opposed to heavenly or spiritual; carnal; sordid; vile: as, worldly lusts, cares, affections, pleasures; worldly men.
- =Syn.1. Mundane, terrestrial, sublunary.
- 1 and Worldly, Secular, Temporal, Earthly, Earthy, Unspiritual, Carnal. Worldly means of the world, in fact or in spirit, in distinction from that which is above the world; as applying to mind, it indicates a pleasure in the things that belong to the external life and a disregard of spiritual or even intellectual pleasures: it is opposed to spiritual, expressing positively what unspiritual expresses negatively. Secular is opposed to sacred or to ecclesiastical: as, there are six secular days in the week; the secular arm. Secular and temporal are rarely used in a bad sense. Temporal is opposed to spiritual or eternal: as, lords temporal; merely temporal concerns. Earthly has, like
worldly , the sense of mundane, but in the sense of unspirituality it suggests more of grossness or groveling, a thought which is carried still further by earthy, although earthy is not often used in that sense. Carnal suggests that which belongs to the gratification of the animal nature; it ranges from the merely unspiritual to the sensual. Seesensual and temporal.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- adjective Relating to the world; human; common
- 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.
- adjective obsolete Lay, as opposed to
clerical . - adverb With relation to this life; in a worldly manner.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adjective Concerned with
human orearthly matters,physical as opposed tospiritual . - adjective Concerned with
secular rather thansacred matters. - adjective
Sophisticated , especially because ofsurfeit ;versed in the ways of the world. - adverb In a worldly manner.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- adjective characteristic of or devoted to the temporal world as opposed to the spiritual world
- adjective very sophisticated especially because of surfeit; versed in the ways of the world
Etymologies
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Examples
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The worldly mother who plans for the advancement of a family, and sacrifices solid enjoyments for a splendid alliance, is only _worldly_ wise, yet in that manoeuvring and worldly prudence there is the exercise of a self-control which raises her above the mere giddy pleasure-hunter of the hour; for want of self-control is the weakness of our nature -- to restrain, to wait, to control present feeling with a large foresight, is human strength.
Sermons Preached at Brighton Third Series Frederick W. Robertson
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He had been everywhere and had seen everything, and was full of what we call worldly wisdom.
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He had been everywhere and had seen everything, and was full of what we call worldly wisdom.
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It has proved to be the most wonderful fabric of what we call worldly wisdom that our world has seen, -- controlling kings, dictating laws to ancient monarchies, and binding the souls of millions with a more perfect despotism than Oriental emperors ever sought or dreamed.
Beacon Lights of History John Lord 1852
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Prince Charles made his own flub during the recitation of his vows, promising to share "all his goods" with his new wife, but accidentally omitting the word "worldly."
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It can be very difficult at times, when ignorant people in worldly society make negative comments about how my children will be unprepared to live in the world.
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To "establish a Kingdom of God on Earth" implies a sort of militaristic vanity, a literal idea of a shining city on a hill in worldly terms.
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But the god referenced cannot be the deist God, since the government cannot really be “under” a god who takes no interest in worldly affairs.
The Volokh Conspiracy » Ninth Circuit Upholds “Under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance, 2010
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But the god referenced cannot be the deist God, since the government cannot really be “under” a god who takes no interest in worldly affairs.
The Volokh Conspiracy » Ninth Circuit Upholds “Under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance, 2010
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To chapter 4, paragraph 1The quattrocento experienced an increased valuation of and investment in worldly pursuits, including the products of the mechanical arts.
Architecture and Memory: The Renaissance Studioli of Federico da Montefeltro 2008
milosrdenstvi commented on the word worldly
I find this adjective very interesting in terms of its connotational semantics. Part of a religious upbringing set Century #4 as the chief definition in my mind, thus establishing it as a negative adjective; but most instances I hear nowadays are along the lines of American Heritage #2, a generally positive attribution. Nevertheless I retain a negative impression on hearing this word and have to artificially remember its positive use.
July 26, 2011