'worldliness' originates from the Old English word 'woruldlicnes,' where 'woruld' meant 'world' and '-licnes' was a suffix indicating a state or condition.

'woruldlicnes' transformed into the Middle English word 'worldlinesse,' and eventually became the modern English word 'worldliness'.

Initially, it meant 'the state of being worldly or concerned with worldly affairs,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.