celestial

1 of 2

adjective

ce·​les·​tial sə-ˈles-chəl How to pronounce celestial (audio)
-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 boyLeonard 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 How to pronounce celestial (audio)
-ˈlesh-
-ˈle-stē-ə-lē
adverb

celestial

2 of 2

noun

1
: a heavenly or mythical being
2
capitalized : chinese sense 1a

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
The size of a celestial object in the night sky depends on both its physical size and — just as importantly — its distance from the observer. Darryl Seligman, Space.com, 25 Feb. 2025 This month, a new kind of space telescope is setting out on a two-year mission to create four complete maps of the entire celestial sky that will catalog the origins of the universe and seek out the ingredients of life − chiefly water and carbon dioxide molecules − in distant interstellar clouds. Stephen J. Beard, USA TODAY, 24 Feb. 2025
Noun
The capsule also features a Wild West linen of rollicking cowboys and cowgirls, which is also available as wallpaper, as well as pom-pom forest and celestial-themed wallpapers. Sophie Dweck, Town & Country, 16 Aug. 2022 Curry manages to be both ordinary in size and celestial in talent. Jerry Brewer, Anchorage Daily News, 18 June 2022 See All Example Sentences for celestial

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of celestial was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Celestial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/celestial. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on celestial

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