# worldly

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ˈwɜː(ɹ)ldli/ · frequency rank #18,738

## Definitions
1. Concerned with human or earthly matters, physical as opposed to spiritual.
2. Concerned with secular rather than sacred matters.
3. Sophisticated, especially because of surfeit; versed in the ways of the world.

## 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”).

## Easily confused with
- **worlds** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/worldly-vs-worlds)
- **world** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/world-vs-worldly)
- **wordy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wordy-vs-worldly)
- **wildly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wildly-vs-worldly)
- **woolly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/woolly-vs-worldly)
- **workday** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/workday-vs-worldly)

## Common misspellings (12)
`owrldly`, `wolrdly`, `wordlly`, `worlddly`, `worldlly`, `worldlyy`, `worldyl`, `worlldly`, `worlldy`, `worrldly`, `wroldly`, `wworldly`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/worldly