sublunary
Part of speech: adj
noun
Morphological type: derivation
Etymology: PIE word
 *upó
The adjective is a learned borrowing from Late Latin sublūnāris (“sublunar, sublunary”) + English -ary (suffix meaning of or pertaining to forming adjectives). Sublūnāris is derived from Latin sub- (prefix meaning ‘below, beneath, under’) + lūnāris (“of or pertaining to the moon, lunar”) (from lūna (“moon”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *lewk- (“bright; to see; to shine”)) + -āris (suffix forming adjectives denoting a pertaining to or relationship)). By surface analysis, sub- + lunary.
The noun is derived from the adjective.
Affixes: -ary
Inflected forms:
form: sublunaries
pos: noun
tags: plural
Senses:
gloss: Situated beneath the moon; specifically, between the moon and the earth.
pos: adj
tags: historical
literary
not-comparable
examples: Patritius [Franciscus Patricius?] doth not onely auerre this, but that the Sea is as a ſublunarie Planet, mouing it ſelfe, and moued by the ſuperiour bodies to effect the generation of things: […]
They [devils] are confined vntill the day of iudgement, to this ſublunary vvorld, and can vvorke no farther then the foure Elements, and as God permits them. VVherefore of theſe ſublunary Diuels, Pſellus [Michael Psellos] makes ſix kindes, fiery, aeriall, terreſtriall, vvatery, and ſubterranean Diuels, beſides thoſe Fairies, Satyres, Nymphs, &c.
Ye Sublunary VVorlds avvake, avvake, / Ye Rulers of the Nations hear and ſhake?
gloss: In or of this world (as opposed to heaven, etc.); earthly, terrestrial.
pos: adj
tags: broadly
literary
not-comparable
examples: Dull ſublunary lovers love / (VVhoſe ſoule is ſenſe) cannot admit / Abſence, becauſe it doth remove / Thoſe things vvhich elemented it.
Philoſophers that opinioned the vvorlds deſtruction by fire, did never dreame of annihilation, vvhich is beyond the povver of ſublunary cauſes; for the laſt and proper action of that element [fire] is but vitrification, or a reduction of a body into Glaſſe, and therefore ſome of our Chymicks factiouſly affirme; yea, and urge Scripture for it, that at the laſt fire all ſhall be cryſtallized and reverberated into Glaſſe, vvhich is the utmoſt action of that element.
All Sublunary Things are contemptible, and of no Value.
[T]he Cœleſtial Bodies above the Moon being incorruptible, and not ſubject to change, remain'd for ever fair, and in perpetual order: On the contrary, all things vvhich are ſublunary are ſubject to change, to deformity, and to decay.
OVID had vvarn'd her to bevvare, / Of Stroling God's, vvhoſe uſual Trade is, / Under pretence of Taking Air, / To Pick up Sublunary Ladies.
All ſublunary Comforts imitate the Changeableneſs, as vvell as feel the Influence, of the Planet they are under.
[T]he Converſation vvhich employ'd the Hours betvveen Friday and I, vvas ſuch, as made the three Years vvhich vve liv'd there together perfectly and compleatly happy, if any ſuch Thing as compleat Happineſs can be form'd in a ſublunary State.
Monimia hears not my complaints; her ſoul, ſublimed far, far above all ſublunary cares, enjoys that felicity, of vvhich ſhe was debarred on earth.
[I]n all ſublunary things, there is ſomething to be vviſhed, vvhich vve muſt vviſh in vain.
Body o' me, it makes a man sick of his kind, ashamed to belong to the race of men, to see the envy that abounds in this here sublunary wale^([sic – meaning vale]) of tears!
Mr John Puffingham was a patron—a patron to the diversified layers and strata of men and things pertaining to sublunary matters.
Staying at the Kennels was the most significant occasion my little world could offer me, and in order that he might share my sublunary advancement I took Cockbird with me.
We must infer that God does not know of the existence of our sublunary world.
gloss: Of or relating to the material world (as opposed to clerical, sacred, or spiritual); ephemeral, temporal, worldly.
pos: adj
tags: broadly
literary
not-comparable
examples: Whither now, O whither do ye rove, O my thoughts? Can ye hope to find rest, in any of these sublunary contentments?
And chace vve ſtill the Phantom thro' the Fire, / O'er Bog, and Brake, and Precipice, till Death? / And toil vve ſtill for ſublunary Pay?
He began gradually to delight in ſublunary pleaſures.
[T]he Baron was exalted by wine, wrath, and scorn, above all sublunary considerations.
gloss: Inferior, subordinate.
pos: adj
tags: figuratively
literary
not-comparable
examples: For Simonie doth vſually poyſon and corrupt tvvo VVell-heads, vvhence the ſtreames of good life doe generally flovv vnto all the people; that is, the Parſon, and the Patron. Theſe be, as the tvvo great Lights in the Firmament of the Church, from vvhom the ſublunary and ſubordinate people receiue the direction and conduct of their life.
gloss: A person or thing which is of the (material) world.
pos: noun
tags: in-plural
literary
examples: She vvas ſoaring upvvard to her native ſkies. She vvas got above earth, by means, too, of the Earth-born: And ſomething extraordinary vvas to be done to keep her vvith us Sublunaries.
gloss: A less important person; an inferior, a subordinate.
pos: noun
tags: in-plural
literary
Related words: under the stars
under the sun
Derived words: sublunary sphere
Translations: