Word
worldly
Phoneticsworld·ly, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈwɝɫdɫi/
UK/wˈɜːldli/
Definition
adj. having a lot of experience with life and people. You use this to describe someone who is sophisticated and knows how the world works.
adj. possessing extensive experience of life and sophisticated social knowledge. Often implies a lack of naivety or a focus on material and practical concerns rather than spiritual ones.
Examples
“She is very worldly and knows how to handle difficult people.”
“After years of traveling as a foreign correspondent, he returned home with a worldly perspective that his old friends lacked.”
“The protagonist's worldly exterior masked a deep-seated idealism that the harsh realities of the city had not yet managed to extinguish.”
Examples
simple
“She is very worldly and knows how to handle difficult people.”
contextual
“After years of traveling as a foreign correspondent, he returned home with a worldly perspective that his old friends lacked.”
complex
“The protagonist's worldly exterior masked a deep-seated idealism that the harsh realities of the city had not yet managed to extinguish.”
Usage
Often used to describe people, their attitudes, or their level of experience. Can be used both attributively and predicatively.
Real-World Examples
“She says she is at peace with the fact all her worldly possessions fit in a bedroom that is no more than 12ft long, by eight feet wide.” “But most Buddhists see this goal as out of reach in this lifetime and instead have desires for worldly things , such as getting a job, winning the lottery or finding a spouse.” Etymology
From Middle English worldly, worldlich, wordly (adjective), from Old English woruldlīċ, worldlīċ, weoroldlīċ (“worldly; earthly; temporal; mundane; secular”), from Proto-Germanic *weraldilīkaz, equivalent to world + -ly. Cognate with Dutch wereldlijk (“worldly; secular”), German Low German weltlik (“worldly”), German weltlich (“worldly”), Danish verdslig (“worldly”), Swedish världslig (“worldly”), Icelandic veraldlegur (“worldly; secular”).
From Middle English worldly, worldliche, wordly (adverb), from Old English woroldlīċe, weoroldlīċe; equivalent to world + -ly (adverbial suffix).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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englishreference.com/q/worldly