celestial
Americanadjective
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pertaining to the sky or visible heaven, or to the universe beyond the earth’s atmosphere, as in
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pertaining to the spiritual or invisible heaven; heavenly; divine.
celestial bliss.
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of or relating to celestial navigation.
a celestial fix.
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Celestial, of or relating to the former Chinese Empire or the Chinese people.
noun
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an inhabitant of heaven.
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Celestial, a citizen of the Celestial Empire.
adjective
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heavenly; divine; spiritual
celestial peace
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of or relating to the sky
celestial bodies
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Relating to the sky or the heavens. Stars and planets are celestial bodies.
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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
Etymology
Origin of celestial
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
Explanation
What is the difference between a celestial being and a celestial body? The first is something living such as an alien or an angel, whereas the latter is an inanimate object such as a star or a planet. Both, however, are from the sky. The word celestial is primarily used to describe things that have to do with the heavens such as angels, spirits, stars and planets. It does not come from words meaning God or soul though, but from the Latin word for "sky," caelestis, which also gave rise to the word ceiling. So really, all you have to do is look up and you'll remember what celestial means — whether you're inside or outside.
Vocabulary lists containing celestial
Celestial Words To Mark The Winter Solstice
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Oh, My Stars! The Language of Outer Space
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Eclipse Vocabulary
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
They were the first invertebrates -- a broad group of animals including spiders, snails and worms -- shown to use celestial navigation for such long trips.
From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026
But it’s when the filmmakers submerge the viewer into that celestial static that “Chronovisor” assumes an enduring, practically ancient quality.
From Salon ● Sep. 7, 2026
People around the globe are encouraged to spend time observing our nearest celestial neighbor while learning about lunar science, exploration, and the Moon's influence on cultures throughout history.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 3, 2026
BBC Weather Watchers captured stunning photos of the celestial display - which reached its peak pre-dawn across the UK.
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026
He was the first person in Greece to make a sundial, a map of the known world and a celestial globe that showed the patterns of the constellations.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
