worldly

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

One of the hardest things Westerners—and Westernized Iranians—have to absorb about the Islamic Republic, and Islamic history in general, is that the friction between faith and worldly acquisitiveness is less than one might expect.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 9, 2026

“I was in a period of mourning and I didn’t want to give myself worldly pleasures because I thought it would make me feel icky or sad.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 11, 2026

There are still financial tasks that have to be done for you after your death, like filing your last tax return and cleaning up your worldly possessions.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 14, 2026

Although relatively tame next to what was to follow, Puccini’s 1918 “Suor Angelica” revealed a convent where worldly and spiritual desires collide.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 7, 2025

“Someone as worldly as you? I’m so surprised! Now...”

From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley