oth·er·world·ly

(ŭth′ər-wûrld′lē)

adj.

1. Of, relating to, or characteristic of another world, especially a mystical or transcendental world: "The effect was dreamy, otherworldy" (Gioia Diliberto).

2. Devoted to the world of the mind; concerned with intellectual or imaginative things.

3. Concerned with an afterlife, especially when inattentive to the present.

oth′er·world′li·ness n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

otherworldly

(ˌʌðəˈwɜːldlɪ)

adj

1. of or relating to the spiritual or imaginative world

2. impractical or unworldly

ˌotherˈworldliness n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

oth•er•world•ly

(ˈʌð ərˈwɜrld li)

adj.

concerned with the world of imagination or the world to come.

[1870]

oth′er•world′li•ness, n.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Adj.

otherworldly - existing outside of or not in accordance with nature; "find transcendental motives for sublunary action"-Aldous Huxley

nonnatural, transcendental, preternatural

supernatural - not existing in nature or subject to explanation according to natural laws; not physical or material; "supernatural forces and occurrences and beings"

otherworldly

adjective

Of or concerned with the spirit rather than the body or material things:

numinous, spiritual, unworldly.

Translations

απόκοσμος

fuori dal mondo

otherworldly

other-worldly [ˌʌðə^rˈwɜː^rldli] adj [people, things, places] → d'un autre monde

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

otherworldly

adj attitude, person → weltfern; smile, expression → entrückt

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

Mentioned in

References in periodicals archive

Samhain, observed at the end of the Celtic year as autumn turns to winter, is also noted for being a time when ancestral and otherworldly spirits are most likely to interact with the living.

The Sacred Herbs of Samhain; Plants to Contact the Spirits of the Dead

Second, we analyze the otherworldly fantasy genre, the most widely consumed genre in the 2010s, focusing on its dual attitude to reality: escape from real society and sympathy for social minorities.

Contemporary Light Novels: Subculture, Literature, and Morality

Fantastical realms crammed with otherworldly flora and fauna, reminiscent of James Cameron's mega-blockbuster Avatar, provide an eye-popping backdrop to a 13-year-old girl's painful coming of age during a madcap time-travelling quest to locate her missing father.

Film in cinemas /Also showing

From mountain ranges to seaside ports, Dizon shows places that seem otherworldly yet could paint memories of home.

Philip Dizon explores landscapes in 'Paysage'

Never easy, but always more than captivating, Sunless Sea has created a rare and magnificent otherworldly place for us to explore.

Strife on the ocean wave; Games

The combination of the altitude and the fact they're taking in the dark lend the images of familiar landmarks an otherworldly atmosphere.

Liverpool is a beauty of the night

By charting this otherworldly universe, Matthew Carl Strecher makes palpable for the reader a bizarre literary landscape where the metaphysical and the tangible often collide.

Matthew Carl Strecher: The Forbidden Worlds of Haruki Murakami

Fantastic Four: Rise Of The Silver Surfer Film4, 7.05pm The four superheroes try to set aside their human problems when the authorities order they stop the otherworldly Silver Surfer - the precursor to the planetdevouring Galactus.

FILMCHOICE

Coming out this month, Hair: Guido (Rizzoli) collects his otherworldly creations, shown in photographs by Tim Blanks, whose interview with the hairdresser is also included.

Hair: Guido

Nagano can go from husky whisper, when she sounds just like US girl group TLC's T-Boz, to soaring, otherworldly siren, adding an unhinged quality to each song, even the effortless pop of Let Go.

LITTLE DRAGON - NABUMA RUBBERBAND; CD REVIEWS

Publishing will begin later this year, with book apps based on movies including Kung Fu Panda, Madagascar, Shrek and the upcoming B.O.O.: Bureau of Otherworldly Operations.

DreamWorks to launch DreamWorks Press publishing imprint

is an otherworldly action adventure in a similar vein to Men In Black.

on dvd