EARTHLY (earthlier, earthliest)

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

Irregular inflected forms: earthlier    , earthliest   

 Dictionary entry overview: What does earthly mean? 

• EARTHLY (adjective)
  The adjective EARTHLY has 1 sense:

1. of or belonging to or characteristic of this earth as distinguished from heaven

  Familiarity information: EARTHLY used as an adjective is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• EARTHLY (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Of or belonging to or characteristic of this earth as distinguished from heaven

Context example:

our earthly home

Similar:

earthborn (connected with earthly life; of earthly origin)

earthbound (confined to the earth)

earthlike (resembling or characteristic of earth)

mundane; terrene (belonging to this earth or world; not ideal or heavenly)

sublunar; sublunary; terrestrial (of this earth)

temporal (of this earth or world)

Also:

mortal (subject to death)

profane; secular (not concerned with or devoted to religion)

secular; temporal; worldly (characteristic of or devoted to the temporal world as opposed to the spiritual world)

Antonym:

heavenly (of or belonging to heaven or god)

Derivation:

earth (the abode of mortals (as contrasted with Heaven or Hell))

 Context examples 

And then away for home! away to the quickest and nearest train! away from this cursed spot, from this cursed land, where the devil and his children still walk with earthly feet!

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

Not as a business matter, for these arrangements are usually verbal, and there was no earthly business reason why this should be an exception.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

In Lydia's imagination, a visit to Brighton comprised every possibility of earthly happiness.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

Love was above all earthly considerations, and I loved Dora to idolatry, and Dora loved me.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

What did St. John Rivers think of this earthly angel?

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

With so much true merit and true love, and no want of fortune and friends, the happiness of the married cousins must appear as secure as earthly happiness can be.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

But there was nothing gross or earthly about this yearning.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

Mrs. Dashwood had been informed by her husband of the solemn promise on the part of his son in their favour, which gave comfort to his last earthly reflections.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

Additionally, while green is the dominant color of earthly auroras, a vivid red color would stand out in a brown dwarf's aurora because of the higher hydrogen content of the object's atmosphere.

(Powerful Auroras Found at Brown Dwarf, NASA)

“He could stretch one toe to the ground and bear himself up, so that I thought he would never have done. Now at last, however, he is safely in paradise, and so I may jog on upon my earthly way.”

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)