worldly

Worldly is an adjective describing things that pertain to the world. It has two closely related senses: a secular or non-religious sense that emphasizes material, social, or practical concerns; and an earthly or physical sense that contrasts with the spiritual or heavenly.

In religious and philosophical contexts, worldly is often used to distinguish human society and its values from the divine realm. The term can imply attachment to possessions, status, or affairs of daily life, as opposed to ascetic or transcendent concerns. The noun form worldliness or worldly-wise underscores the quality or degree of such attachment or practicality.

Etymology and historical usage: worldly derives from Old English worold (world), with the suffix -ly forming an adjective in Middle English; the sense “related to the world” has existed since the 14th century.

Usage and nuance: common phrases include worldly goods (possessions), worldly wisdom (practical knowledge grounded in experience), and a worldly outlook (a pragmatic or secular perspective). In literature and discourse, “worldly” can describe a person as experienced and sophisticated, or, pejoratively, as morally compromised by material concerns.

See also: secular, mundane, temporal, profane, terrestrial, lay.