celestial

1 of 2

adjective

ce·​les·​tial sə-ˈles-chəl 

-ˈlesh-,

-ˈle-stē-əl

1

: of, relating to, or suggesting heaven or divinity

celestial beings

2

: of or relating to the sky or visible heavens

the sun, moon, and stars are celestial bodies

3

a

: ethereal, otherworldly

celestial music

b

: olympian, supreme

the celestial impudence of the boy

—Leonard Bacon

4

capitalized [Celestial Empire, old name for China] : of or relating to China or the Chinese

5

: eminently pleasing : delightful, heavenly

It's possible that the cuisine has become even more celestial since the return of his former sous chef …

—Tanya Wenman Steel

celestially

sə-ˈles-chə-lē 

-ˈlesh-

-ˈle-stē-ə-lē

adverb

celestial

2 of 2

noun

1

: a heavenly or mythical being

2

capitalized : chinese sense 1a

Synonyms

Adjective

• elysian
• empyreal
• empyrean
• ethereal
• heavenly
• supernal

Examples of celestial in a Sentence

Adjective

stars, planets, asteroids, and other celestial bodies

The late afternoon sunlight gave the room a celestial glow.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Every Photo Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard Have Shared of Their Stunning L.A. ‘Dream Home’ Bell stuck to the celestial theme and shared another photo of Shepard basking in the moonlight as more stars peeked out behind him. —Natalia Senanayake, Peoplemag, 19 Apr. 2024

Here’s the best way to catch a glimpse of this celestial event. —Jacqueline Pinedo, Sacramento Bee, 19 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin caelestis celestial, from caelum sky

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1573, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing celestial

• celestial body
• celestial equator
• celestial globe
• celestial hierarchy
• celestial marriage
• celestial navigation
• celestial object
• celestial pole
• celestial sphere

Kids Definition

celestial

adjective

ce·​les·​tial

sə-ˈles-chəl

1

: of, relating to, or suggesting heaven

angels are celestial beings

2

: of or relating to the sky

a star is a celestial body

celestially

-chə-lē

adverb