earthly concern
1
6.6
- noun
- /ˈɜrθli kənˈsɜrn/
- This duality is the tension between the history that expresses the triumph of the Christian empire and the history that concentrates on the church as a divine institution, removed from politics and other earthly concerns.
Examples
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His dreams of fame and fortune were overshadowed by the earthly concerns of paying the rent and finding a job.
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In addition to the practical and earthly concerns over the health and ecological impacts of GMOs, there are also considerations of the higher sorts.
Blog text (23) -
Zionist-socialism often borrowed biblical admonitions to support their secular goals, transferring the focus of sanctity from spiritual to earthly concerns.
Academic text (1996) -
While there are many heavenly ideas to explore, we must not overlook our earthly concerns here on this planet.
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To achieve spiritual growth, one must sometimes set aside their earthly concerns and focus on higher ideals.
Synonyms
1
4.2
A worry about money, things you own, and daily life
How Earthly
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly and compositionally derived from 'earthly' (relating to the material/worldly) plus 'concern' (a matter or worry), yielding a matter relating to worldly life rather than spiritual matters. This adjective+noun pattern is regular and has clear parallels in many languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would very likely infer the meaning.
Etymology
Earthly concern comes from a simple image: earthly means belonging to the ground or to this life, and concern means a worry. So an earthly concern is a worry about 'this life' or 'worldly' matters rather than about the afterlife or 'spiritual' things.