celestial

[suh-les-chuhl]

adjective

1. pertaining to the sky or visible heaven, or to the universe beyond the earth’s atmosphere, as in

2. pertaining to the spiritual or invisible heaven; heavenly; divine.

   celestial bliss.

   Synonyms: ethereal, beatific, seraphic, angelic

3. of or relating to celestial navigation.

   a celestial fix.

4. Celestial, of or relating to the former Chinese Empire or the Chinese people.

noun

1. an inhabitant of heaven.

2. Celestial, a citizen of the Celestial Empire.

celestial

/ sɪˈlɛstɪəl /

adjective

1. heavenly; divine; spiritual

   celestial peace

2. of or relating to the sky

   celestial bodies

celestial

1. Relating to the sky or the heavens. Stars and planets are celestial bodies.

2. Relating to the celestial sphere or to any of the coordinate systems by which the position of an object, such as a star or planet, is represented on it.

Other Word Forms

• celestially adverb
• celestialness noun
• celestiality noun
• noncelestial adjective
• noncelestially adverb
• supercelestial adjective
• supercelestially adverb
• uncelestial adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of celestial¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Medieval Latin cēlestiālis, equivalent to Latin caelesti(s) “heavenly” ( cael(um “heaven, sky” + -estis adjective suffix) + -ālis -al ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of celestial¹

C14: from Medieval Latin cēlestiālis, from Latin caelestis, from caelum heaven

Example Sentences

The next lunar eclipse visible in the UK will be on 28 August 2026, so mark your calendars for another chance to witness this celestial event.

From BBC

In the early morning, the east-facing yard is alive with butterflies and bees, dancing over electric-purple whorls of celestial blue sage and sunny Palmer’s Indian mallow growing over the fence.

From Los Angeles Times

“The Action Network has analyzed sky visibility, elevation, historical meteor activity, and astronomical infrastructure to compile a ranked list of the best states for witnessing celestial events,” the website announced.

From Los Angeles Times

The spellbound astronauts pinned themselves to the windows, the first humans to see the far side of our nearest celestial neighbour.

From BBC

In the film, as Lubin nicely puts it, he and Swanson “are the equivalent of celestial stars, whose light reaches our eyes long after they have ceased to emit it.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• angelic 
• divine 
• ethereal 
• immortal 
• otherworldly 
• spiritual 
• sublime 
• supernatural