# worldly

/ˈwɝɫdɫi/ (US) · /wˈɜːldli/ (UK) · CEFR C1 · Adjective

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/worldly
Updated: 2026-05-06

## Definition

having a lot of experience with life and people. You use this to describe someone who is sophisticated and knows how the world works.

For teachers: 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.

## Usage notes

- Often used to describe people, their attitudes, or their level of experience. Can be used both attributively and predicatively.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.