Earthling: meaning, definitions and examples
🌍
earthling
[ ˈərθlɪŋ ]
in science fiction
A human inhabitant of the planet Earth.
Synonyms
Examples of usage
- He was the only Earthling on the spaceship.
- The Earthling looked up at the alien spacecraft in wonder.
informal
A person from Earth, especially when considered in relation to inhabitants of other planets.
Synonyms
Examples of usage
- The Earthling marveled at the technology of the extraterrestrial beings.
- She felt like a tiny Earthling in a vast universe.
Translations
Translations of the word "earthling" in other languages:
🇵🇹 terráqueo
🇮🇳 पृथ्वीवासी
🇩🇪 Erdling
🇮🇩 manusia bumi
🇺🇦 землянин
🇵🇱 ziemianin
🇯🇵 地球人 (ちきゅうじん)
🇫🇷 terrestre
- terrien
- terrienne
🇪🇸 terráqueo
🇹🇷 dünya sakini
🇰🇷 지구인 (jigu-in)
🇸🇦 أرضي
🇨🇿 pozemšťan
🇸🇰 pozemšťan
🇨🇳 地球人 (dìqiú rén)
🇸🇮 zemljan
🇮🇸 jarðarbúi
🇰🇿 жер тұрғыны
🇬🇪 დედამიწელი
🇦🇿 yerli sakin
🇲🇽 terráqueo
Word origin
The term 'Earthling' originated in science fiction literature in the mid-20th century to refer to humans as inhabitants of the planet Earth. It is a combination of 'Earth' and the suffix '-ling,' which denotes a person belonging to a particular place or group. The concept of Earthlings has since been popularized in popular culture, especially in the context of space exploration and encounters with extraterrestrial beings.
See also: earth, earthen, earthenware, earthing, earthly, earthmover, earthquake, earthworm, earthy, unearth, unearthing.