Definition of mundanenext
1
2

Synonym Chooser

How is the word mundane distinct from other similar adjectives?

The words earthly and worldly are common synonyms of mundane. While all three words mean "belonging to or characteristic of the earth," mundane suggests reference to the immediate and practical.

a mundane discussion of finances

In what contexts can earthly take the place of mundane?

While in some cases nearly identical to mundane, earthly often implies a contrast with what is heavenly or spiritual.

abandoned earthly concerns and entered a convent

How are the words worldly and mundane related?

Worldly and mundane both imply a relation to the immediate concerns and activities of human beings, worldly suggesting tangible personal gain or gratification.

worldly goods

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of mundane The local agency released a copy of its application material to ProPublica without redactions, revealing mundane details the state had tried to keep secret. Rob Davis, ProPublica, 21 Aug. 2026 Both Chang and Erpenbeck are unflinching in chronicling the specific, mundane precautions necessary to lovers under surveillance. Anne E. Fernald, Literary Hub, 19 Aug. 2026 But there is a particular loneliness in realizing that nobody else is equally invested in the mundane details of your life. Kristin Vance Richards, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026 The administration‘s reforms, therefore, begin with questions that sound almost mundane. Bethany Mandel, The Washington Examiner, 16 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for mundane
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mundane
Adjective
  • What does fitness and physique mean to you in your work and in your everyday life?
    Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Including both everyday audiences and front-line workers in benefits is key, according to Farm Aid co-executive director Jennifer Fahy.
    James Pollard, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • The happy faces lit up their temporal cortex and caudate nucleus, which are parts of the brain associated with higher cognitive and reward processing.
    Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The study also establishes Cygnus X-3 as the first ultra-high-energy gamma-ray source known to show temporal variability.
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 17 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Over millions of years, those extra abdominal oars were simplified, repurposed, and eventually erased entirely, leaving behind the streamlined six-legged architects of Earth’s terrestrial ecosystems.
    Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The fox is Svalbard's only native terrestrial predator, apart from the polar bear.
    Sarah Kingdom, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • At face value, young men exercising should not be reason to sound the alarms, and yet there is something treacherous about men in their formative years placing physical beauty as the ultimate expression of self-actualization.
    José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Back in 2015, Parton and her team buried a chestnut box filled with physical copies of a brand new song in two formats, cassette and CD, along with their corresponding players, under her Dollywood DreamMore Resort and Spa.
    Isabelle Farina, Variety, 27 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Vegetable Oils Vegetable and seed oils are some of the richest non-animal dietary sources of CoQ10.
    Verywell Health, Verywell Health, 16 July 2026
  • Computer models and other non-animal testing methods still aren’t the best available science, critics contend.
    Michael Hawthorne, Chicago Tribune, 21 June 2026
Adjective
  • The eagerly anticipated new Los Angeles museum will welcome earthly visitors on September 22.
    Michael Goldstein, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Instead, Farage's main opponent is Count Binface, a political satirist posing as a comic space alien, with a keen interest in earthly matters, including the positioning of a hand dryer in the men's toilet in a pub in west London.
    ABC News, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Thai Buddhist temples often have icons of Hindu gods, such as Ganesha and Brahma, who are believed to grant these worldly wishes.
    Brooke Schedneck, The Conversation, 24 Aug. 2026
  • If the Baby Einstein products were meant to introduce babies to high culture, from the music of Beethoven and Mozart to the art of da Vinci and van Gogh, many of the STEM board books seem to have more worldly goals.
    Elise Broach, New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Defense attorneys in both cases argued that the defendants’ intent was in question, raising in argument the possibility that their clients were not trying to cause serious bodily injury or death.
    Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Both Walter and Lefever have pleaded not guilty to three counts of chronic neglect of a child causing great bodily harm and two counts of chronic neglect of a child causing emotional damage, his online records show.
    Samira Asma-Sadeque, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Mundane.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mundane. Accessed 3 Sep. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!