ethereal

adjective ethe·re·al \ i-ˈthir-ē-əl \

Definition of ethereal

1 a :of or relating to the regions beyond the earth

b :celestial, heavenly

c :unworldly, spiritual

2 a :lacking material substance :immaterial, intangible

b :marked by unusual delicacy or refinement

this smallest, most ethereal, and daintiest of birds
—William Beebe

c :suggesting the heavens or heaven

3 :relating to, containing, or resembling a chemical ether

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ethereality

play \i-ˌthir-ē-ˈa-lə-tē\ noun

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etherealization

play \i-ˌthir-ē-ə-lə-ˈzā-shən\ noun

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etherealize

play \i-ˈthir-ē-ə-ˌlīz\ transitive verb

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ethereally

play \i-ˈthir-ē-ə-lē\ adverb

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etherealness

noun

See ethereal defined for English-language learners

See ethereal defined for kids

ethereal was our Word of the Day on 12/19/2011. Hear the podcast!

Examples of ethereal in a Sentence

The windows give the church an ethereal glow.
that ethereal attribute that every performer should have—charisma

Recent Examples of ethereal from the Web

Sign up for a Tibetan singing bowls meditation session in the desert for an ethereal mind-and-body experience.

— Fortune, "This Is the Next Big Destination for Adrenaline Junkies," 9 Aug. 2017
Fortunately for the crowd, Phantogram played all the favorites coupled with ethereal projections.

— michael norman, cleveland.com, "Phantogram delivers intoxicating night of electro-pop at Cleveland's House of Blues (photos)," 15 July 2017
The scoop: Spotted recently at the MUSE exhibition at La Bodega, Byers painted an ethereal floral mural inspired by the flowers which appear on the tables at the restaurant.

— laurie delk, Pacific San Diego Magazine, "Feast your eyes on restaurant artwork," 6 July 2017
Paris and Nicole Hilton channeled Marie Antoinette for the night, while Delevigne opted for an ethereal, flowing purple gown.

— jodi guglielmi, PEOPLE.com, "Twenty-Fun! Inside Princess Olympia of Greece’s Star-Studded 21st Birthday Party," 4 July 2017
The superheated visual image contrasted beautifully with Solange's cool, ethereal vocals and mechanical choreography.

— doug maccash, NOLA.com, "Solange glows with cold fire Sunday at Essence Fest," 3 July 2017
BRIDE’S DRESS: Emily wore an ethereal ivory gown by Watters Bridal and jewelry by Thomas Knoell, both from Betsy Robinson’s Bridal Collection. BRIDESMAIDS’

— john-john williams iv, baltimoresun.com, "Wedded: Emily Ann Clark and Chad William Wierschke were a perfect match," 30 June 2017
The whirling, ethereal vocals—which occasionally go deadpan, as if rattling off the label ingredients of a billowing potion—flow in and flow out like a tide lapping at a beach.

— kevin warwick, Chicago Reader, "On Sorcerer, Tonstartssbandht show just how much more there is to psych," 22 June 2017
Jusino writes the script essentially treats Wonder Woman as an ethereal, mysterious object to be analyzed and gawked at by Boy Next Door Steve.

— christopher rosa, Glamour, "This Unfinished 'Wonder Woman' Script by Joss Whedon Is Getting Crucified on Twitter," 19 June 2017

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

Did You Know?

If you're burning to know the history of "ethereal," you're in the right spirit to fully understand that 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 as either "ether" or "quintessence." Ether was often described as an invisible light or fire, and its name derives from the Greek aithein, a verb meaning "to ignite" or "to blaze." When "ethereal," the adjective kin of "ether," debuted in English in the 1500s, it referred specifically to regions beyond the Earth, but it gradually came to refer to anything heavenly or airy.