Standard Lemma guide

terrestrial

adj · noun · 15 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /tɪˈɹɛstɹɪ.əl/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • US: /tɪˈɹɛstɹɪ.əl/
  • US: /təˈɹɛstɹɪ.əl/
  • Canada: /tɪˈɹɛstɹɪ.əl/
  • Australian: /tɪˈɹestɹɪ.əl/
  • Australian: /təˈɹestɹɪ.əl/
  • CMU ARPABET: T ER0 EH1 S T R IY0 AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Of or relating to the Earth or its (native) inhabitants.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: earthly

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Of, relating to, or composed of land or earth, as contrasted with bodies of water, with wetlands viewed as semiaquatic environs, or with aerial or space environs.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • Near-synonyms: land (attributive), landbased, landly
  • quoted in 2022, C. F. G. Clark, The Curiosities of Dudley and the Black Country [...] yet this stone [Cannock] is so Sulphurious and Terrestrial, not fit to make Iron; [...]

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: land, landbased, landly

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Living or growing in or on land (as opposed to other habitats or substrates).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • a terrestrial plant

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adj

Meaning 4

Being composed primarily of silicate rocks or metals, as contrasted with gases, liquified gases, and dust.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Topics: astronomy, natural-sciences

Examples

  • Near-synonyms: tellurian, telluric, terrene, Terran, rocky, metallic
  • a terrestrial planet

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: tellurian, telluric, terrene, Terran, rocky, metallic

Antonyms: none provided

5

adj

Meaning 5

Concerned with the world or worldly matters.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • Near-synonyms: worldly, sublunary

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: worldly, sublunary

Antonyms: celestial, spiritual, ethereal

6

adj

Meaning 6

Of or pertaining to the second highest degree of glory.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Mormonism, not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

adj

Meaning 7

Broadcast using radio waves as opposed to satellite or cable.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Topics: broadcasting, media

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

A ground-dwelling plant.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: biology, botany, natural-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

noun

Meaning 9

Alternative letter-case form of Terrestrial (“Inhabitant of Earth”).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: alt-of

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

noun

Meaning 10

An inhabitant of the planet Earth.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

11

adjective

Meaning 11

operating or living or growing on land

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: aquatic, amphibious

12

adjective

Meaning 12

of or relating to or characteristic of the planet Earth or its inhabitants- L.C.Eiseley

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • planetary rumblings and eructations
  • the planetary tilt
  • this terrestrial ball

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: planetary

Antonyms: none provided

13

adjective

Meaning 13

of or relating to or inhabiting the land as opposed to the sea or air

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: tellurian, telluric, terrene

Antonyms: none provided

14

adjective satellite

Meaning 14

of this earth

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • transcendental motives for sublunary actions
  • fleeting sublunary pleasures
  • the nearest to an angelic being that treads this terrestrial ball

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: sublunar, sublunary

Antonyms: none provided

15

adjective satellite

Meaning 15

concerned with the world or worldly matters

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • mundane affairs
  • he developed an immense terrestrial practicality

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: mundane

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Middle English terrestrialle, from terrestre or Latin terrestris, from terra (“land, earth, ground”), with the suffix -al.

From Latin terrestris, from terra (“land, earth, ground”).

Across languages

Translations

114 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: أَرْضِيّ (ʔarḍiyy) — of, relating to, or inhabiting the Earth or its inhabitants
  • Armenian: ցամաքային (cʻamakʻayin) — of, relating to, or inhabiting the Earth or its inhabitants
  • Belarusian: зямны́ (zjamný) — of, relating to, or inhabiting the Earth or its inhabitants
  • Bulgarian: зе́мен (zémen) — of, relating to, or inhabiting the Earth or its inhabitants
  • Catalan: terrestre — of, relating to, or inhabiting the Earth or its inhabitants
  • Chinese Mandarin: 地球的 (dìqiú de) — of, relating to, or inhabiting the Earth or its inhabitants
  • Czech: zemní — of, relating to, or inhabiting the Earth or its inhabitants
  • Czech: zemský — of, relating to, or inhabiting the Earth or its inhabitants
  • Danish: jordisk — of, relating to, or inhabiting the Earth or its inhabitants
  • Danish: terrestrisk — of, relating to, or inhabiting the Earth or its inhabitants
  • Dutch: aards — of, relating to, or inhabiting the Earth or its inhabitants
  • Esperanto: tera — of, relating to, or inhabiting the Earth or its inhabitants
  • Esperanto: surtera — of, relating to, or inhabiting the Earth or its inhabitants
  • Finnish: maa- — of, relating to, or inhabiting the Earth or its inhabitants
  • Finnish: maaperän — of, relating to, or inhabiting the Earth or its inhabitants
  • Finnish: Maan — of, relating to, or inhabiting the Earth or its inhabitants
  • French: terrestre — of, relating to, or inhabiting the Earth or its inhabitants
  • Galician: terrestre — of, relating to, or inhabiting the Earth or its inhabitants
  • German: irdisch — of, relating to, or inhabiting the Earth or its inhabitants
  • German: terrestrisch — of, relating to, or inhabiting the Earth or its inhabitants
  • German: Erd- — of, relating to, or inhabiting the Earth or its inhabitants
  • Greek: γήινος (gíinos) — of, relating to, or inhabiting the Earth or its inhabitants
  • Ancient Greek: ἐπίγειος (epígeios) — of, relating to, or inhabiting the Earth or its inhabitants
  • Hindi: पार्थिव (pārthiv) — of, relating to, or inhabiting the Earth or its inhabitants
  • Hungarian: földi — of, relating to, or inhabiting the Earth or its inhabitants
  • Icelandic: jarðneskur — of, relating to, or inhabiting the Earth or its inhabitants
  • Irish: domhanda — of, relating to, or inhabiting the Earth or its inhabitants
  • Italian: terrestre — of, relating to, or inhabiting the Earth or its inhabitants
  • Japanese: 地上の (chijō no) — of, relating to, or inhabiting the Earth or its inhabitants
  • Latin: terrestris — of, relating to, or inhabiting the Earth or its inhabitants
  • Macedonian: земен (zemen) — of, relating to, or inhabiting the Earth or its inhabitants
  • Norwegian Bokmål: terrestrisk — of, relating to, or inhabiting the Earth or its inhabitants
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: terrestrisk — of, relating to, or inhabiting the Earth or its inhabitants
  • Iranian Persian: زَمینی (zamini) — of, relating to, or inhabiting the Earth or its inhabitants
  • Polish: ziemski — of, relating to, or inhabiting the Earth or its inhabitants
  • Portuguese: terrestre — of, relating to, or inhabiting the Earth or its inhabitants
  • Portuguese: térreo — of, relating to, or inhabiting the Earth or its inhabitants
  • Romanian: terestru — of, relating to, or inhabiting the Earth or its inhabitants
  • Romanian: pământesc — of, relating to, or inhabiting the Earth or its inhabitants
  • Russian: земно́й (zemnój) — of, relating to, or inhabiting the Earth or its inhabitants
  • Serbo-Croatian: зема̀љскӣ — of, relating to, or inhabiting the Earth or its inhabitants
  • Serbo-Croatian: zemàljskī — of, relating to, or inhabiting the Earth or its inhabitants
  • Slovak: zemný — of, relating to, or inhabiting the Earth or its inhabitants
  • Slovak: zemský — of, relating to, or inhabiting the Earth or its inhabitants
  • Slovene: zemski — of, relating to, or inhabiting the Earth or its inhabitants
  • Slovene: zemeljski — of, relating to, or inhabiting the Earth or its inhabitants
  • Spanish: terrestre — of, relating to, or inhabiting the Earth or its inhabitants
  • Swedish: jordisk — of, relating to, or inhabiting the Earth or its inhabitants
  • Tagalog: dutain — of, relating to, or inhabiting the Earth or its inhabitants
  • Tajik: заминӣ (zamini) — of, relating to, or inhabiting the Earth or its inhabitants
  • Tocharian B: kenätstse — of, relating to, or inhabiting the Earth or its inhabitants
  • Ukrainian: земни́й (zemnýj) — of, relating to, or inhabiting the Earth or its inhabitants
  • Welsh: daearol — of, relating to, or inhabiting the Earth or its inhabitants
  • Bulgarian: сухозе́мен (suhozémen) — of, pertaining to, or made of land
  • Finnish: maa- — of, pertaining to, or made of land
  • Hindi: थलीय (thalīya) — of, pertaining to, or made of land
  • Hindi: स्थलीय (sthalīya) — of, pertaining to, or made of land
  • Ido: terala — of, pertaining to, or made of land
  • Russian: земно́й (zemnój) — of, pertaining to, or made of land
  • Tagalog: dalatning — of, pertaining to, or made of land
  • Armenian: ցամաքային (cʻamakʻayin) — living or growing on land; not aquatic
  • Belarusian: назе́мны (nazjémny) — living or growing on land; not aquatic
  • Belarusian: сухазе́мны (suxazjémny) — living or growing on land; not aquatic
  • Belarusian: сухапу́тны (suxapútny) — living or growing on land; not aquatic
  • Bulgarian: сухозе́мен (suhozémen) — living or growing on land; not aquatic
  • Catalan: terrestre — living or growing on land; not aquatic
  • Chinese Mandarin: 陸生 /陆生 (lùshēng) — living or growing on land; not aquatic
  • Czech: suchozemský — living or growing on land; not aquatic
  • Czech: nadzemní — living or growing on land; not aquatic
  • Dutch: terrestrisch — living or growing on land; not aquatic
  • Finnish: maa- — living or growing on land; not aquatic
  • French: terrestre — living or growing on land; not aquatic
  • Galician: terrestre — living or growing on land; not aquatic
  • German: Land- — living or growing on land; not aquatic
  • Greek: εδαφόβιος (edafóvios) — living or growing on land; not aquatic
  • Ancient Greek: ἐπίγειος (epígeios) — living or growing on land; not aquatic
  • Hindi: थलीय (thalīya) — living or growing on land; not aquatic
  • Hindi: थलचर (thalcar) — living or growing on land; not aquatic
  • Hungarian: szárazföldi — living or growing on land; not aquatic
  • Italian: terragnolo — living or growing on land; not aquatic
  • Italian: terricolo — living or growing on land; not aquatic
  • Italian: terragno — living or growing on land; not aquatic
  • Japanese: 陸生の (rikusei) — living or growing on land; not aquatic
  • Latin: terrestris — living or growing on land; not aquatic
  • Māori: nohowhenua — living or growing on land; not aquatic
  • Norwegian Bokmål: terrestrisk — living or growing on land; not aquatic
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: terrestrisk — living or growing on land; not aquatic
  • Polish: nadziemny — living or growing on land; not aquatic
  • Portuguese: terrestre — living or growing on land; not aquatic
  • Romanian: terestru — living or growing on land; not aquatic
  • Romanian: neacvatic — living or growing on land; not aquatic
  • Russian: назе́мный (nazémnyj) — living or growing on land; not aquatic
  • Russian: сухопу́тный (suxopútnyj) — living or growing on land; not aquatic
  • Slovak: suchozemský — living or growing on land; not aquatic
  • Slovak: nadzemný — living or growing on land; not aquatic
  • Spanish: terrestre — living or growing on land; not aquatic
  • Ukrainian: назе́мний (nazémnyj) — living or growing on land; not aquatic
  • Ukrainian: сухопу́тний (suxopútnyj) — living or growing on land; not aquatic
  • Welsh: tirol — living or growing on land; not aquatic
  • Finnish: maankaltainen — astronomy: being composed primarily of silicate rocks or metals
  • German: terrestrisch — astronomy: being composed primarily of silicate rocks or metals
  • German: erdähnlich — astronomy: being composed primarily of silicate rocks or metals
  • Bulgarian: све́тски (svétski) — concerned with the worldly matters
  • Finnish: maallinen — concerned with the worldly matters
  • Hindi: सांसारिक (sānsārik) — concerned with the worldly matters
  • Hindi: लौकिक (laukik) — concerned with the worldly matters
  • Russian: све́тский (svétskij) — concerned with the worldly matters
  • Welsh: bydol — concerned with the worldly matters
  • Finnish: maanpäällinen — Mormonism: of or pertaining to the second highest degree of glory
  • Bulgarian: назе́мен (nazémen) — broadcast with radio waves
  • Chinese: 地面電視 /地面电视 (dìmìan dìanshì) — broadcast with radio waves
  • Finnish: maa- — broadcast with radio waves
  • Georgian: სახმელეთო (saxmeleto) — broadcast with radio waves
  • Polish: naziemny — broadcast with radio waves
Real reading context

terrestrial in complete knowledge articles