Worldly - English meaning

adjective

Having or showing an ability to accurately assess situations or people and turn this to one's advantage.

Usage examples:

An astute businessman

adjective

Quick to see how to use a situation to your advantage

Usage examples:

He was politically astute, and was soon appointed to a number of powerful committees in congress.

adjective

Having knowledge or perception of a situation or fact.

Usage examples:

Most people are aware of the dangers of sunbathing

adjective

Knowing that something exists, or having knowledge or experience of a particular thing

Usage examples:

[ + (that) clause ] we were just not aware (that) garbage would be a problem, that we ever would ne…

noun

The lowest part or edge of something, especially the part on which it rests or is supported.

Usage examples:

She sat down at the base of a tree

verb

Use (something specified) as the foundation or starting point for something.

Usage examples:

The film is based on a novel by pat conroy

adjective

Without moral principles; ignoble.

Usage examples:

The electorate's baser instincts of greed and selfishness

adjective

Of or concerning the body.

Usage examples:

Children learn to control their bodily functions

adverb

By moving a person's or one's own body with force.

Usage examples:

He hauled her bodily from the van

adjective

Relating to a person’s physical structure

Usage examples:

They had no intention of causing bodily harm.

adjective

Relating to physical, especially sexual, needs and activities.

Usage examples:

Carnal desire

adjective

Relating to the physical feelings and desires of the body

adjective

Relating to a person's body, especially as opposed to their spirit.

Usage examples:

He was frank about his corporeal appetites

adjective

Physical and not spiritual

adjective

Including people from many different countries.

Usage examples:

Immigration transformed the city into a cosmopolitan metropolis

noun

A cosmopolitan person.

Usage examples:

Cosmopolitans who spoke both spanish and english

adjective

Containing people and things from many different parts of the world, or having experience of many different places and things

Usage examples:

A cosmopolitan city, gwen’s a very cosmopolitan young woman.

adjective

Refined and well educated.

Usage examples:

He was a remarkably cultivated and educated man

verb

Prepare and use (land) for crops or gardening.

Usage examples:

The peasants who cultivated the land became its owners

adjective

Well educated

Usage examples:

A cultivated accent

adjective

Characterized by refined taste and manners and good education.

Usage examples:

A cultured and intelligent man

verb

Maintain (tissue cells, bacteria, etc.) in conditions suitable for growth.

Usage examples:

Several investigators have attempted to culture biliary cells

adjective

Relating to the earth or human life.

Usage examples:

Water is liquid at normal earthly temperatures

adjective

Having or showing a rational, modern, and well-informed outlook.

Usage examples:

The more enlightened employers offer better terms

verb

Give (someone) greater knowledge and understanding about a subject or situation.

Usage examples:

Christopher had not enlightened francis as to their relationship

adjective

Showing understanding and wisdom in dealing with others

Usage examples:

This company is an enlightened and reasonable employer., every enlightened person rejects racism in…

adjective

Having gained knowledge or skill in a particular field over time.

Usage examples:

An experienced social worker

verb

Encounter or undergo (an event or occurrence).

Usage examples:

The company is experiencing difficulties

adjective

Having the skill and knowledge to do something, esp. because of having done it for a long time

Usage examples:

Martin is an experienced sailor.

adjective

Relating to human desire or bodily appetites; sensual.

Usage examples:

Fleshly pleasures

adjective

Relating to the physical body, not the mind or the soul

Usage examples:

He is someone who finds it difficult to curb his fleshly (= sexual) desires.

adjective

(especially of wrongdoing) very obvious and unacceptable.

Usage examples:

Gross human rights abuses

adverb

Without tax or other contributions having been deducted.

Usage examples:

If the value of your bond is £50,000 or more the interest will be paid gross

verb

Produce or earn (an amount of money) as gross profit or income.

Usage examples:

The film went on to gross $8 million

verb

Possess, own, or hold.

Usage examples:

He had a new car and a boat

auxiliary verb

Used with a past participle to form the perfect, pluperfect, and future perfect tenses, and the conditional mood.

Usage examples:

I have finished

noun

People with plenty of money and possessions.

Usage examples:

An increasing gap between the haves and have-nots

adjective

Relating to or characteristic of humankind.

Usage examples:

The human body

noun

A human being.

Usage examples:

At least some people are realising that humans are completely abusing the right we have.

adjective

Of or typical of people

Usage examples:

The human body, of course i make mistakes, i’m only human (= not perfect)., the accident was due to…

adjective

Showing or suggesting that one has knowledge or awareness that is secret or known to only a few people.

Usage examples:

A knowing smile

noun

The state of being aware or informed.

Usage examples:

As you can see the vedic way of knowing suggests that knowledge is an intrinsic feature of the soul.

verb

Be aware of through observation, inquiry, or information.

Usage examples:

Most people know that cfcs can damage the ozone layer

adjective

Intelligent and well informed.

Usage examples:

She is very knowledgeable about livestock and pedigrees

adjective

Knowing a lot

Usage examples:

He's very knowledgeable about german literature.

noun

The matter from which a thing is or can be made.

Usage examples:

Goats can eat more or less any plant material

adjective

Denoting or consisting of physical objects rather than the mind or spirit.

Usage examples:

The material world

noun

A type of physical thing, such as wood, stone, or plastic, having qualities that allow it to be used to make other things

Usage examples:

A hard/soft material, the sculpture was made of various materials, including steel, copper wire, an…

adjective

Excessively concerned with material possessions; money-oriented.

Usage examples:

We're living in a highly materialistic society

noun

Marked by a desire for wealth and possessions

adjective

Believing that having money and possessions is the most important thing in life

adjective

Fully developed physically; full-grown.

Usage examples:

She was now a mature woman

verb

(of a person or thing) become fully grown or developed.

Usage examples:

Children mature at different ages

verb

To become completely grown

Usage examples:

Humans take longer to mature than most other animals., [ i ] when you are the oldest child of a lar…

adjective

(of a living human being, often in contrast to a divine being) subject to death.

Usage examples:

All men are mortal

noun

A human being subject to death, as opposed to a divine being.

Usage examples:

Capacities only possible of god rather than mortals

adjective

(of living things, esp. people) unable to continue living forever; having to die

Usage examples:

Humans are mortal and we all eventually die., as the ship began to sink, they realized they were in…

adjective

Lacking interest or excitement; dull.

Usage examples:

His mundane, humdrum existence

adjective

Ordinary and not interesting in any way

Usage examples:

The show was just another mundane family sitcom.

adjective

Having or showing sensitive insight.

Usage examples:

An extraordinarily perceptive account of their relationship

adjective

Able to notice and understand things that many other people do not notice

Usage examples:

Her books are full of perceptive insights.

adjective

Relating to the body as opposed to the mind.

Usage examples:

A range of physical and mental challenges

noun

A medical examination to determine a person's bodily fitness.

Usage examples:

At fifty-something, each year's physical was a kind of lottery

adjective

Connected with the body

Usage examples:

Physical strength/disabilities, she tries to keep herself in good physical condition., the physical…

adjective

Not relating to that which is sacred or religious; secular.

Usage examples:

A talk that tackled topics both sacred and profane

verb

Treat (something sacred) with irreverence or disrespect.

Usage examples:

It was a serious matter to profane a tomb

adjective

(esp. of words) offensive because of not respecting religion, or offensive because of being rude

Usage examples:

Profane language, his letter is too profane to print, but it is very funny, too.

adjective

(of food) having had salt, pepper, herbs, or spices added.

Usage examples:

Seasoned flour

verb

Add salt, herbs, pepper, or other spices to (food).

Usage examples:

Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper

adjective

Having much experience and knowledge of a particular activity

Usage examples:

Seasoned travelers/journalists

abbreviation

Secant.

noun

A second; a very short space of time.

Usage examples:

Stay put, i'll be back in a sec

adjective

(of wine) dry.

Usage examples:

As it was, holder gave us jardin aux lilas, not in an edwardian garden, but perhaps in a penthouse …

adjective

Relating to or involving gratification of the senses and physical, especially sexual, pleasure.

Usage examples:

The production of the ballet is sensual and passionate

adjective

Expressing or suggesting physical pleasure

Usage examples:

A sensual mouth, they shared the sensual satisfaction of french food.

adjective

Having or showing sharp powers of judgement; astute.

Usage examples:

She was shrewd enough to guess the motive behind his gesture

adjective

Able to judge a situation accurately and turn it to your own advantage

Usage examples:

He’s a very shrewd businessman., barbara made some shrewd investments.

adjective

Able to judge people and situations well and make good decisions

Usage examples:

My one big regret is about money - i wish i'd been more shrewd., simon is an extremely shrewd busin…

adjective

Having, revealing, or involving a great deal of worldly experience and knowledge of fashion and culture.

Usage examples:

A chic, sophisticated woman

verb

Make (someone or something) more sophisticated.

Usage examples:

Readers who have been sophisticated by modern literary practice

adjective

Having an understanding of the world and its ways, so that you are not easily fooled, and having an understanding of people and ideas without making them seem simple

Usage examples:

Sophisticated readers understood the book’s hidden meaning., sophisticated computer systems

adjective

Involving immoral or dishonourable actions and motives; arousing moral distaste and contempt.

Usage examples:

The story paints a sordid picture of bribes and scams

adjective

Morally ugly, so that being involved makes you feel dirty

Usage examples:

A sordid story, sordid details, the sordid condition of many of the city school buildings was shock…

adjective

Perceptible by touch.

Usage examples:

The atmosphere of neglect and abandonment was almost tangible

noun

A thing that is perceptible by touch.

Usage examples:

These are the only tangibles upon which an assessment can be made

adjective

Relating to worldly as opposed to spiritual affairs; secular.

Usage examples:

The church did not imitate the secular rulers who thought only of temporal gain

adjective

Of or situated in the temples of the head.

Usage examples:

Arterial biopsy usually confirms the diagnosis of temporal arteritis

adjective

Relating to practical matters or physical things, rather than spiritual ones

Usage examples:

The tyranny of the monarchy lies in its spiritual rather than its temporal power: it tyrannizes the…

adjective

On or relating to the earth.

Usage examples:

Increased ultraviolet radiation may disrupt terrestrial ecosystems

noun

An inhabitant of the earth.

Usage examples:

That is certainly plausible enough, but is he really the man to lecture us terrestrials on the dist…

adjective

Relating to the planet earth, or living or existing on the land rather than in the sea or air

Usage examples:

Newton investigated terrestrial and celestial motion., marine and terrestrial environments

adjective

Not spiritual; worldly.

Usage examples:

The clergymen were deplorably unspiritual

adjective

Lacking spirituality (= the quality that involves deep feelings and beliefs, especially religious beliefs, rather than the physical parts of life)

Usage examples:

He claims that existentialism is not an unspiritual philosophy., they consider competitive sports t…

adjective

(of a person) courteous and refined in manner.

Usage examples:

They are charming and urbane

adjective

Showing a high degree of refinement

adjective

Having an understanding of the world and showing experience and confidence

Usage examples:

Urbane conversation/pleasures, his urbane manners impressed me.

adjective

Extremely unpleasant.

Usage examples:

He has a vile temper

adjective

Evil or disgusting

Usage examples:

He responded with the vilest language imaginable., a vile mood/temper

adjective

Unpleasant, immoral, and unacceptable

Usage examples:

This vile policy of ethnic cleansing must be stopped.

adjective

Experienced in the ways in which people behave and able to deal with most situations

Usage examples:

Tyler is remarkably worldly-wise for such a young girl.