ethereal

[ih-theer-ee-uh l]

adjective

light, airy, or tenuous: an ethereal world created through the poetic imagination.

extremely delicate or refined: ethereal beauty.

heavenly or celestial: gone to his ethereal home.

of or relating to the upper regions of space.

Chemistry. pertaining to, containing, or resembling ethyl ether.

Also ae·the·re·al (for defs 1–4).

Origin of ethereal

1505–15; < Latin aethere(us) (< Greek aithérios), equivalent to aether- ether + -eus adj. suffix + -al¹

Related formse·the·re·al·i·ty, e·the·re·al·ness, noune·the·re·al·ly, adverbe·the·re·ous, adjectivenon·e·the·re·al, adjectivenon·e·the·re·al·ly, adverbnon·e·the·re·al·ness, nounnon·e·the·re·al·i·ty, nounun·e·the·re·al, adjectiveun·e·the·re·al·ly, adverbun·e·the·re·al·ness, noun

aether

[ee-ther]

noun

ether(defs 3–5).

(initial capital letter) the ancient Greek personification of the clear upper air of the sky.

Related formsae·the·re·al

[ih-theer-ee-uh l] /ɪˈθɪər i əl/, ae·ther·ic

[ih-ther-ik] /ɪˈθɛr ɪk/, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for aethereal

Historical Examples of aethereal

No stronger proof of their aethereal conversational earnestness could be offered.
The Amazing Marriage, Complete
George Meredith
We on the earth's surface live night and day in the midst of aethereal commotion.
Fragments of science, V. 1-2
John Tyndall

British Dictionary definitions for aethereal

aethereal

adjective

a variant spelling of ethereal (def. 1), ethereal (def. 2), ethereal (def. 3)

Derived Formsaethereality (ɪˌθɪərɪˈælɪtɪ), nounaethereally, adverb

aether

noun

a variant spelling of ether (def. 3), ether (def. 4), ether (def. 5)

ethereal

adjective

extremely delicate or refined; exquisite

almost as light as air; impalpable; airy

celestial or spiritual

of, containing, or dissolved in an ether, esp diethyl etheran ethereal solution

of or relating to the ether

Derived Formsethereality or etherealness, nounethereally, adverb

Word Origin for ethereal

C16: from Latin aethereus, from Greek aitherios, from aithēr ether

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for aethereal

ethereal

adj.

1510s, "of the highest regions of the atmosphere," from ether + -al (1); extended sense of "light, airy" is from 1590s. Meaning "spiritlike, immaterial" is from 1640s. Related: Ethereally.

aethereal in Medicine

ethereal

[ĭ-thîr′ē-əl]

adj.

Characterized by lightness and insubstantiality; intangible.

Of, relating to, or containing ether.

Related formse•the′re•al′i•ty (-ăl′ĭ-tē) null n.e•the′re•al•ly adv.