Relating to material rather than spiritual concerns, or sophisticated through wide experience of life.
From Old English weoroldlic, composed of world plus -ly suffix. World comes from Germanic compound meaning 'age of man.' The contrast between worldly and spiritual concerns has been embedded in the word since medieval times, reflecting Christian distinctions between temporal and eternal values.
The dual meaning of 'worldly' captures a fascinating cultural tension - it can mean both 'sophisticated, experienced' (positive) and 'materialistic, non-spiritual' (traditionally negative). This reflects humanity's complex relationship with material success and spiritual fulfillment, encoded right in our vocabulary.
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