1
a
: the overhead inside lining of a room
The room has a high ceiling.
b
: material used to ceil a wall or roof of a room
2
: something thought of as an overhanging shelter or a lofty canopy
a ceiling of stars
3
a
: the height above the ground from which prominent objects on the ground can be seen and identified
b
: the height above the ground of the base of the lowest layer of clouds when over half of the sky is obscured
4
a
b
5
: an upper usually prescribed limit
a ceiling on prices, rents, and wages
Examples of ceiling in a Sentence
The house has low ceilings.
The airplane has a ceiling of 32,000 feet.
Recent Examples on the Web
The 85,000 annual ceiling for new H-1B petitions is low, the equivalent of only 0.05% of the U.S. labor force.
—
Stuart Anderson, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025
The basement flooded 14 times, and there were so many leaks in the attic that mushrooms sprouted through a bedroom ceiling.
—Jack Flemming, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2025
The Bruins have younger players in Providence with higher NHL ceilings than Lettieri and Brown.
—Fluto Shinzawa, The Athletic, 18 Mar. 2025
If the exteriors were constrained to faithful re-creations, the interiors offered vessels for experimentation, with two-story volumes carved out of both homes, rear windows reconfigured or enlarged, and ceiling height added by raising the roof and digging into the basement.
—Sam Cochran, Architectural Digest, 18 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ceiling
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Stuart Anderson, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025
The basement flooded 14 times, and there were so many leaks in the attic that mushrooms sprouted through a bedroom ceiling.
—Jack Flemming, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2025
The Bruins have younger players in Providence with higher NHL ceilings than Lettieri and Brown.
—Fluto Shinzawa, The Athletic, 18 Mar. 2025
If the exteriors were constrained to faithful re-creations, the interiors offered vessels for experimentation, with two-story volumes carved out of both homes, rear windows reconfigured or enlarged, and ceiling height added by raising the roof and digging into the basement.
—Sam Cochran, Architectural Digest, 18 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ceiling
Cite this Entry
“Ceiling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ceiling. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ceiling
noun
ceil·ing
ˈsē-liŋ 
1
: the overhead inside lining of a room
2
: something that hangs over or is above
3
: the height above the ground of the base of the lowest layer of clouds when over half of the sky is hidden by clouds
4
: the greatest height at which an airplane can operate efficiently
5
: an upper usually prescribed limit
a ceiling on prices
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