Anglais

worldly

gb/wˈɚldli/ us/wˈɚldli/
B2 Anglais
~ 4800
Sens
0 sens
adjective B2 property
1

knowledgeable about life and society

Knowing a lot about how life and people work, often from having many experiences.

Schéma d’usage : [someone] is worldly
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes confuse 'worldly' with 'worldwide', but 'worldly' refers to experience, not location or scope.
Synonymes
sophisticated (Suggests refinement and culture in addition to experience.) | experienced (Focuses more on having lived through many situations, less on social skill.)
Antonymes
naive (Lacking experience or understanding of the ways of the world.)
Collocations
worldly experience |worldly wisdom |worldly person |worldly knowledge
Thèmes
society |life |experience |core_vocabulary |daily_life
Exemples
  • She is a worldly traveler who has lived in five different countries.
  • His worldly advice helped me avoid many mistakes.
  • Despite his young age, he seemed surprisingly worldly.
  • The novel’s main character is a worldly businesswoman.
  • Worldly politicians know how to navigate complex negotiations.
Exemples pédagogiques
  • He is a worldly man who has been to many places.
  • She gave me worldly advice about work.
  • My uncle is very worldly because he has worked in many countries.
  • The teacher is worldly and understands many cultures.
adjective B2 property
2

focused on material things

Caring mostly about money, things you own, and enjoying life, not about spiritual matters.

Schéma d’usage : [someone] is worldly
Erreur fréquente :
Some learners confuse 'worldly' here with 'global' or 'international', but it refers to material focus.
Synonymes
materialistic (Often carries a stronger negative judgment of valuing material things too much.) | earthly (Can mean related to the physical world as opposed to spiritual, sometimes neutral.)
Antonymes
spiritual (Focused on religious or moral values instead of material possessions.)
Collocations
worldly pleasures |worldly success |worldly goods |worldly wealth
Thèmes
values |lifestyle |emotions |core_vocabulary
Exemples
  • He gave up all worldly possessions to join the monastery.
  • Her ambitions were purely worldly, centered on wealth and status.
  • The book warns against becoming too attached to worldly pleasures.
  • They left behind their worldly goods when fleeing the city.
  • His interest in worldly success kept him from deeper reflection.
Exemples pédagogiques
  • She likes worldly pleasures like good food and travel.
  • He sold his house and gave away his worldly goods.
  • The monk does not care about worldly things.
  • They want worldly success in business.
Grammaire
Forme canonique
worldly
API
GB/wˈɚldli/
US/wˈɚldli/
Syllabes et accentuation
worldly (1 syllabe)
Stress on 1st syllable (worldly)
Formes du mot
Adjective
  • Base: worldly
Famille de mots
Core family
world noun A2
Related words
worldwide adjective A2 worldliness noun
Negative and opposite forms
unworldly adjective C1
Advanced or less common
otherworldly adjective
Expressions

worldly goods

1
/wˈɚldli ɡˈʊdz/
fixed phrase

all personal possessions

Everything a person owns in life.

Exemples
  • He left all his worldly goods to his children.
  • They lost their worldly goods in the fire.

worldly pleasures

1
/wˈɚldli plˈɛʒɚz/
fixed phrase

physical or material enjoyments

Fun or enjoyable things that are part of normal life, like food, travel, or entertainment.

Exemples
  • The monk avoids all worldly pleasures.
  • She enjoys the worldly pleasures of fine dining and travel.

worldly wisdom

1
/wˈɚldli wˈɪzdəm/
fixed phrase

practical life experience and judgment

Knowledge about life that comes from real experiences, not from books.

Exemples
  • Her worldly wisdom helped her solve the problem quickly.
  • He spoke with the worldly wisdom of someone who had seen it all.

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