mondain

Mondain is an English adjective meaning worldly, sophisticated, or of the world. In its historical usage it connotes urbane social life and secular, fashionable pursuits, often describing a refined, cosmopolitan circle. Today the term is largely archaic in general prose, appearing mainly in period writing, literary analysis, or discussions of early modern culture. A feminine form, mondaine, sometimes appears in older texts to describe a worldly woman.

Etymology and form: Mondain derives from Middle French mondain, from Old French monde meaning “world,” with the suffix -ain. It entered English in the early modern period. The related noun form is uncommon in contemporary usage, though mondaine is occasionally encountered in historical or French-influenced contexts. The word is etymologically related to mundane, yet mondain typically carries a more glamorous or refined nuance rather than a flat, dull one.

Usage: Mondain is used to evoke a particular historical register, often in references to “mondain society” or “mondain pleasures.” In contemporary writing it appears mainly for stylistic effect, to convey a sense of aristocratic or cosmopolitan worldly life, sometimes with a critical undertone about superficiality.

In popular culture: Mondain is also the name of a fictional character in the Ultima video game series, where Mondain is a wizard-king. As a proper noun, this usage is unrelated to the adjective’s historical sense but shares the same spelled form.

See also: Mundane; Monde.