ethereal
adjective
William Beebe
Did you know?
If you're burning to know the history of ethereal, you're in the right spirit to fully understand the word's etymology. The ancient Greeks believed that the Earth was composed of earth, air, fire, and water, but that the heavens and its denizens were made of a purer, less tangible substance known (in English transliteration) as either quintessence or ether. Ether was often described as an invisible light or fire; its name comes from the Greek verb aithein, meaning "to ignite" or "to blaze." When ethereal, the adjectival kin of ether, debuted in English in the 1500s, it described regions beyond the Earth or anything that seemed to originate from them.
Examples of ethereal in a Sentence
Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 May 2025
The brand’s everyday dresses range from ethereal floral midis that work for all your summer soirees to playful poplin minis that are extra fun when paired with lace-up sandals.
—Lauren Alexis Fisher, Footwear News, 28 May 2025
The Blue Dragon - Always evening under the glow of ethereal lanterns, guests can enjoy Pan-Asian cuisine as dazzling neon dragons chase across the walls, or curl up with a cocktail at The Tiger Bar.
—Samantha Neely, USA Today, 23 May 2025
The composer has been an important figure in Microsoft’s history for 30 years now, with his ethereal seconds-long theme soundtracking the startup process of countless people’s very first home computers all over the world.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for ethereal
Cite this Entry
“Ethereal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ethereal. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ethereal
adjective
Medical Definition
ethereal
adjective
Share