earthling

noun

earth·​ling ˈərth-liŋ How to pronounce earthling (audio)
variants or Earthling
1
: an inhabitant of the earth
2
: worldling

Examples of earthling in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Little earthlings were walking on them. — Sean Williams, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026 The story line has nothing to do with Queen but instead centers on a tale about rebel Earthlings overthrowing their cruel overlords. — Randy McMullen, Mercury News, 18 June 2026 Earthlings have listened in to the rover's wheels crunching over the Martian surface and the whirring blades of its no-longer-flying helicopter sidekick, Ingenuity. — Marcia Dunn The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 27 Nov. 2025 In the layer of the upper atmosphere called the stratosphere, the gas creates a protective layer that shields Earthlings from harmful ultraviolet rays. — Jeanna Bryner, Scientific American, 8 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for earthling

Word History

First Known Use

1593, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of earthling was in 1593

Browse Nearby Words

earthliness
earthling
earth-lit
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Earthling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/earthling. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

earthling

noun
earth·​ling ˈərth-liŋ How to pronounce earthling (audio)
: one who lives on the planet earth

More from Merriam-Webster on earthling

Nglish: Translation of earthling for Spanish Speakers

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