sublunary means situated beneath the moon; specifically, between the moon and the earth. It carries an Arena rating of 1884, earned across 137 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, sublunary ranks #1,105 of 17,124 for Most Sublime Words, #1,122 of 17,130 for Most Beautiful Words, #1,469 of 17,143 for Best Fossil-Poetry Words, #2,216 of 17,104 for Most Storied Words.
sublunary is pronounced /sʌbˈluːnəɹi/.
Why “sublunary” is a great word
SUBLUNARY — [Adjective] Belonging to the earthly world beneath the moon, as opposed to the celestial or spiritual realm; hence, mundane, temporal, or worldly. From Late Latin sublūnāris, from Latin sub- ("under, beneath") + lūnāris ("of the moon, lunar"), from lūna ("moon"). Unlike "celestial," which denotes the immutable heavens, or "ethereal," which suggests a delicate, spiritual quality, sublunary defines the corporeal and changeable domain. It is the scent of damp soil after a rain, the stubborn ache in a healed bone, and the dust motes swirling in a shaft of ordinary sunlight—the quiet dignity inherent in all things bound by gravity, time, and mortality.
Etymology
The adjective is a learned borrowing from Late Latin sublūnāris (“sublunar, sublunary”) + English -ary (suffix meaning of or pertaining to forming adjectives). Sublūnāris is derived from Latin sub- (prefix meaning ‘below, beneath, under’) + lūnāris (“of or pertaining to the moon, lunar”) (from lūna (“moon”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *lewk- (“bright; to see; to shine”)) + -āris (suffix forming adjectives denoting a pertaining to or relationship)). By surface analysis, sub- + lunary. The noun is derived from the adjective.
adj
- Situated beneath the moon; specifically, between the moon and the earth.
- In or of this world (as opposed to heaven, etc.); earthly, terrestrial.
- Of or relating to the material world (as opposed to clerical, sacred, or spiritual); ephemeral, temporal, worldly.e.g.“Whither now, O whither do ye rove, O my thoughts? Can ye hope to find rest, in any of these sublunary contentments?” — 1648, Joseph Hall, “The Breathings of the Devout Soul”, in Josiah Pratt, editor, The Works of the Right Reverend Father in God, Joseph Hall, D.D. […], volume VI (Devotional Works), London: […] C[harle
- Inferior, subordinate.
noun
- A person or thing which is of the (material) world.
- A less important person; an inferior, a subordinate.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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