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
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Adjective
The collection includes a traditional gamelan ensemble, a 19th-century star calendar used to predict destinies and a pair of 17th-century celestial maidens intricately carved from pink volcanic tuff stone. Roger Sands, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025 Here’s what to know about the celestial happenings: How to glimpse Mercury in the night sky Mercury, the closest planet to the sun, will reach peak visibility on Saturday, March 8, according to The Weather Channel. Hannah Poukish, Sacramento Bee, 7 Mar. 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Celestial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/celestial. Accessed 12 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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