cerulean

adjective ce·ru·le·an \ sə-ˈrü-lē-ən \

|Updated on: 8 Jun 2018

Editor's Note: Did You Know?

Definition of cerulean

: resembling the blue of the sky

See cerulean defined for kids

cerulean was our Word of the Day on 11/01/2011. Hear the podcast!

Recent Examples of cerulean from the Web

Hefner wore a cerulean blue gown with cutouts and glitter accents, styling her hair in a loose, braided chignon.

— janine puhak, Fox News, "Texas teens take prom photos at Whataburger," 23 May 2018
DJ Khaled, meanwhile, wore a bright cerulean suit and actually jumped on the red carpet, producing the kind of photos that normally require the coaxing and trickery of a bar mitzvah photographer.

— liz raiss, GQ, "The Billboard Music Awards Are the Completely Nuts Style Night We Need," 21 May 2018
At the center of it all is that cerulean window of water.

— aaron gulley, Outside Online, "Even Vagabonds Need a Home," 17 May 2018
Check out the best location in the region for seeing yellow-throated and cerulean warblers at the Brecksville Reservation.

— james f. mccarty, cleveland.com, "Celebrate the return of spring songbirds to NE Ohio with the 85th Annual Spring Bird Walks," 9 Apr. 2018
Save us a spot in the observation lounge—or maybe at that on-board whiskey bar, on the starboard side of deck eight, where the views of craggy shores and cerulean glaciers are sure to be amazing.

— paul brady, Condé Nast Traveler, "Norwegian Bliss Is the World’s Newest Over-the-Top Cruise Ship," 19 Apr. 2018
The cerulean illumination on a large screen behind the orchestra crept into the spaces around the skylights above the stage and above the main seating area.

— mark swed, latimes.com, "Mahler's 'Song of the Earth' and sky and sea, the L.A. Phil way," 6 Apr. 2018
Exotic cerulean and white tiles brighten the neutral-toned, minimally decorated bathroom in her 2,200-square-foot Hollywood Hills home, and a sweet and earthy aroma of fig candles — Ria Ray and Santa are favorite brands — permeates the air.

— arielle paul, latimes.com, "My Favorite Room: Heather Graham lets the ideas soak in while she gets clean," 9 Mar. 2018
The Maldives is basically my definition of paradise: balmy temps in the 80s and blindingly white beaches surrounded by clear, tranquil, cerulean water (no big waves for me, please).

— Time, "21 Hotels We Can't Wait to Visit in 2018," 16 Feb. 2018

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

Did You Know?

Cerulean comes from the Latin word caeruleus, which means "dark blue" and is most likely from "caelum," the Latin word for "sky." An artist rendering a sky of blue in oils or watercolors might choose a tube of cerulean blue pigment. Birdwatchers in the eastern U.S. might look skyward and see a cerulean warbler (Dendroica cerulea). "Cerulean" is not the only color name that's closely associated with the sky. "Azure" (which ultimately comes from a Persian word for lapis lazuli, a rich blue stone) describes the color of a cloudless sky and can even be a noun meaning "the unclouded sky."