celestial

adjective ce·les·tial \ sə-ˈles-chəl , -ˈlesh- , -ˈles-tē-əl \

Updated on: 10 May 2018

Definition of celestial

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

play \-chə-lē, -tē-ə-lē\ adverb

See celestial defined for English-language learners

See celestial defined for kids

Examples of celestial in a Sentence

stars, planets, asteroids, and other celestial bodies
The late afternoon sunlight gave the room a celestial glow.

Recent Examples of celestial from the Web

The young team is guided by a trio of sagacious celestial beings called the Misses, who challenge Meg to tap into her innate powers.

— alisha acquaye, GQ, "How Janelle Monáe (and Black Panther) Travel Through Time and Space," 2 May 2018
Mount it on the wall or simply prop it against one for a casual yet celestial effect.

— lauren ro, Curbed, "8 snazzy mirrors under $100," 1 May 2018
There can be little question that new NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine wants humans to return to the Moon and to open Earth's celestial neighbor to commercial activity.

— eric berger, Ars Technica, "New NASA leader faces an early test on his commitment to Moon landings," 27 Apr. 2018
Critics have been wringing out their adjectives in response — glittering, glimmering, dazzling and celestial, among them.

— mary louise schumacher, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "With Kusama Museum and art-filled islands, Japan is a paradise for art nerds," 27 Apr. 2018
North Carolina State defensive end Bradley Chubb kept the celestial theme going with a trippy jacket-liner that resembled the endless void of deep space, fitting for a guy whose twitter handle is @astronaut.

— matt wyatt, Houston Chronicle, "First round of NFL draft supplies first-rate fashion show," 26 Apr. 2018
The idea of the superiority of celestial beings is neither new nor scientific.

— michael shermer, Scientific American, "Belief in Aliens May Be a Religious Impulse," 1 Oct. 2017
States like Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi likely will miss the celestial show because of cloud cover, according to Accuweather.

— meredith carey, Condé Nast Traveler, "How to See This Weekend's Lyrid Meteor Shower," 20 Apr. 2018
The Colorado High-resolution Echelle Stellar Spectrograph (CHESS) measures the wavelength of radiation to reveal the composition and temperature of celestial objects.

— joe pappalardo, Popular Mechanics, "Meet the Space Cowboys Launching Telescopes From the Middle of Nowhere," 12 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'celestial.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of celestial

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

celestial Synonyms

Other Astronomy Terms

gibbous, nadir, nebulous, penumbra, retrograde, sidereal, syzygy, wane, wax, zenith

celestial

noun

Definition of celestial

1 : a heavenly or mythical being

2 capitalized : chinese 1a

First Known Use of celestial

1573

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

CELESTIAL Defined for Kids

celestial

adjective ce·les·tial \ sə-ˈles-chəl \

Definition of celestial for Students

1 : of, relating to, or suggesting heaven

2 : of or relating to the sky

a celestial chart

Learn More about celestial

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for celestial Spanish Central: Translation of celestial Nglish: Translation of celestial for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of celestial for Arabic speakers

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celestial

Definition of celestial

celestially

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Origin and Etymology of celestial

celestial Synonyms

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celestial

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celestial

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