Vocabulary in context
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Mundane
Ordinary, commonplace, and unremarkable; worldly rather than spiritual.
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Imagine This
The monk has no interest in worldly affairs, such as job advancement, but is devoted to prayer and devotional time.
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Sounds Like
mun-DAYN
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Looks Like
looks like the word itself; no obvious visual cue.
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Remember This
Mundane often contrasts with the extraordinary or sacred; while it can mean dull, its core sense is 'earthly, worldly' or 'ordinary'.
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Other Forms
mundanitynoun
mundanelyadverb
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Note
Two senses: (1) worldly/earthly, (2) dull or routine. In SAT contexts, focus on 'ordinary' or 'unremarkable' rather than 'boring'.
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Study Deeper
Examples
- The lecture was mundane, filled with routine details that put the audience to sleep.
- Her job involved mundane tasks like answering emails and filing reports.
Synonyms
ordinarycommonplacebanalprosaicroutine
Antonyms
extraordinaryexceptionalsublime
Etymology
From Latin mundanus 'worldly, of the world', from mundus 'world'. The sense 'earthly' evolved to mean 'ordinary, dull' in English.
Mnemonic
Mundane sounds like Monday; both evoke the ordinary, routine nature of ordinary days.
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Similar Words
Related words and words with the same part of speech.
Banal
adjectiveLacking originality or freshness; dull, commonplace, and overused.
Prosaic
adjectiveLacking in imagination or creativity; dull and ordinary in style, especially in writing that resembles prose rather than poetry.
Abstruse
adjectiveDifficult to understand; obscure or highly complex.
Accidental
adjectiveHappening by chance or without deliberate planning; not intended. In music, it is also a noun for a symbol that temporarily alters a pitch.
Acerbic
adjectiveSharp or biting in tone or taste; caustic or mordant in manner.
Acquiescent
adjectiveReady to agree or approve without protest; compliant.
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